Beauty and the Beasts
by SquirrelISDead0304
Summary: The Ra'zac; implacable eaters of man's flesh, consumed by hated and desire for firey revenge against the Human race. It may be a human of all people who teaches them to reconcile with the past and with their greatest enemies...
1. The Offering

**Author's Note: This is incredibly long. I know. But I read the screen play for the Green Mile recently and I came up with this idea. I wrote it very swiftly, and I know there are some issues that need to fixed. I will go back and edit this, but I felt like posting something.**

**Disclaimer: I down own the Ra'zac. I wish I did, because I totally love them…. I need a therapist…or a mental hospital..loving a Ra'zac. Oh boy….**

* * *

**"A person only begins to become the person he wants to be when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life."  
- James Allen,**

**Beauty and the Beasts**

**Chapter 1: The offering**

* * *

It was the soft brush, a slight tug that if his senses weren't so in tune with the usual motion of cloak wouldn't have been noticeable. He had almost brushed it as it was, if not for the whispery breath of air that followed. He turned. Vaguely he felt his partner ahead of him-now behind him-stop as well.

A little girl, sallow and frail beneath matted pale hair darkened by grime and soot and ragged clothing. Another pathetic orphan, from the foul streets of Dras-leona. She was a sight he'd seen many times, but her eyes were not.

Her eyes were a soft pink and they did not gaze up at him with fear, awe, and dread as the eyes of her fellow humans did. She wasn't even gazing at him at all. Her eyes darted around. She focused on the floor, then the wall, then a spot in the air, at him, back to the ground, and then to above him, and then to his face in an unfocused way, and then they shifted again; unable to find a place they felt safe to stare at. Her hand was still outstretched, fingers twitching jerkily, and her mouth was open slightly resembling something akin to shock, her brow was furrowed by something like frustration or concentration, but the incessant wandering of her eyes marred the image.

She looked up at him, or the ceiling over his head with wavering eyes. "They're coming."

"Who?" He bent down to hear her better. She arm jerked back to her side and she repeated herself, soft hoarse voice cracking with every dart of her eyes. "They're already here."

Then she fell.

A hush fell over the crowd watching this strange scenario unfold. The sacrifices had already been presented. Perhaps her spirit had been possessed by such holiness in the midst of the ceremony that she had been overcome with the need to offer herself up to the gods. On the floor where she lay so thin and pale she could already be dead, the black cloaked deities stood over her conversing in their language that no ear in the crowd could decipher.

They must have come to a decision, for both fell silent, gazing at her small meagre form. There was hardly a morsel on her that made her worth taking, but after a long moment, the taller more dignified of the two lifted her from the earth and they took her.

Without so much as a sound they left the hallowed halls of the cathedral, leaving silence and flabbergasted priests in their wake to ascend to the heights of their mountain.

* * *

She was feather light. They were far stronger than any human, but even children were usually heavier than the girl he carried now. His partner strode at his side in step with him silently, but the confusion emanating from her was tangible and justifiable, given his unprecedented actions under the circumstances. They would have to settle this before they called their parents. However, he wasn't quite ready to deal with her yet, so he literally turned off the beaten path they had carved in the underbrush to their mountain home and trudged through the woods. His partner hissed-a wordless sound of dubious annoyance and after a slight pause he heard her feet following him.

He stopped and turned, knowing the moment he did she was going to bombard him. She didn't let him down.

"Why? Why did you do that? They offered up what looked to be a wonderful dinner for the four of us and instead," she waved an aggravated hand at the unconscious child, "you bring home a bite. Who is that going to feed? That won't be enough to feed two of us let alone four of us and you know they eat the most. What the Hell are you thinking?"

"She said something…interesting."

"Interesting? Interesting! People say interesting things all the time-"

He cut her off. "We're going to go back-"

"Yes we are." The beak hidden beneath her hood snapped.

"This is important. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't believe we weren't going to benefit from it." He said softly. He had seen this coming and knew she would be justifiably angry. She was fuming, but he could also see her calming enough to at least listen.

"What did she say?"

"She said 'they're coming. They're already here' and I thought it would be good to know who they are-"

"That's it?" Whatever leeway she might have considered giving him vanished. "And you believed that?"

"Yes." She shifted, shocked. "Besides, if I'm wrong we have an extra snack. It would be better than letting her die and rot on the street somewhere." She snorted derisively. "This is absolutely ridiculous." With that she turned.

"Where are you going?"

"To get our dinner. If you want to come that's fine, or stay here and watch the kid." She heard a thump behind her and felt a hand grab her arm.

"I should have explained better in the cathedral, but I didn't think it would be smart to argue in front of the humans-"

She laughed. "So making yourself out to be an idiot was better?"

"Humans have no comprehension of what we are, and they fail to understand the incentive behind our actions."

"At this point nobody understands your actions. You left two perfectly good human sacrifices to carry back a sickly little kid that probably won't survive the night." She went to study it, squatting next to it.

"It smells of filth and fetid street-water, and judging from its behaviour in the temple it's got a disease or a head injury. Yes, that is most certainly what I want for dinner." Judging by the silence to her right she'd gotten her point across. Up close, it really did look sickly, but some vitality remained in the rise and fall of its thin chest. If left alone, presumably in a world that was generous and full of compassion she'd give it a week.

"Do you really think its information is… valid?" She asked. The small human was downright pitiful. Being a mercy killer was never something she'd considered becoming, but the creature had nothing to live for, assuming it had something to live before it made contact with them.

"Even if it doesn't pertain to us, it could be. We'll have no way to know until it wakes."

She glanced at it. "If it wakes."

"It will." Her brother shifted and she rose. "If you don't do anything to it. If its information is good maybe it'll be useful…."

"_What? Wha-no. _No. Even if that were to be the case, we don't t have the resources to keep a human alive."

"I was only making a suggestion. Either way I think we'll have to wait until sometime tomorrow to find out. In the meantime let's go get our dinner and eat."

She slid into step beside him. "That is the best idea you've had all night."

* * *

A low hiss bloomed red sending a strange chill down her spine. The Ra'zac? She had touched one of them. She remembered, because there had been black, then red, and then blue, accompanied by more sensation and feeling than she could ever describe. Motley colours appeared and disappeared before her vision. It was hard to see them all so she scrambled to vaguely note each one. It was the patterns of the colours and the context of her current situation that gave them any form of meaning.

From what she could gather, the Ra'zac were surprised… or confused, maybe. The two shadows illuminated by the surrounding shade, were staring at her in what she guessed was their version of perplexity. She couldn't stare very long, as other colours appeared.

She shifted uncomfortably beneath their scrutiny and waited for them to make the first move. She had delivered her message and there was nothing else to do, or so she had thought. Why were they here with her?

They moved silently, gracefully, even cautiously as they approached. She had given her message, what could they possibly want? Were they going to kill her? If that was the case she silently wished they'd hurry up with it.

Pain flared inside her temple and she ground at the side of her head with the heel of her hand to ease the pain. Another colour appeared. One that could be attributed to disapproval. Rubbing her temple and forehead and nose-bridge and eye and wherever else the pain burst she detachedly decided disapproval was an appropriate emotion for the Ra'zac to have. She wasn't much to look at and they were proclaimed gods in a religion she did not participate in.

She understood why they were worshipped by the horrid priests in the cathedral. They inspired a sense of fear and awe and respect especially when they loomed over her-taller than most humans-while she sat on the ground. They were frightening, but the fear she felt and what her eyes were seeing were at odds and it was confusing. Unsure of how to respond two warring signals she settled for focusing on the colours.

* * *

"Look." The shorter Ra'zac pointed.

The girl was awake which was surprising, but even more surprising was the fact that she was sitting up. She could see the girl visibly tense at the sound of her voice. It made no move to run nor did it acknowledge them in any way, but to sit rigidly in the underbrush where they'd left her.

Slowly it grew restless, fidgeting with her head, eyes, and face. Its thin arm moved in jerky spasms and it uttered a very soft noise.

To see it better the smaller of the Ra'zac abandoned the darkness beneath a tree. The child was afflicted, but the convulsive motions of her erratically moving arm died down. It's arms shuddered and pale small fingers wrung themselves in matted hair, scrunched up folds of her dress, and gauged the dirt. Her brother believed this thing was useful?

"Who is coming?" Her brother asked reasonably. The child tensed and its arm once again jerkily rubbed at the side of her head, while the other hand twisted and gripped a snarled chunk of matted hair as its strange pink eyes flickered between random spots on the ground.

* * *

"Th-th-they-they're," the girl spoke in a soft fragmented whisper, voice hitching in time with her arm movements. "Here." The girl pointed convulsively at the ground. She repeated the statement less brokenly. "They're- they're here."

Simultaneously both Ra'zac squatted down next her as if needing to inspect further, this curious little child.

She trembled in they're proximately. "They're here." The girls silently nodded to herself. "They…" she shivered and scratched her forehead with agitated violence, "they-r-r-are…not good. Th-th-they are here," her voice dropped to a whisper and he eyes widened, falling still and staring at a patch on the ground. "They may kill you." She broke out into another episode of juddering fidgeting and her eyes scurried about.

The smaller Ra'zac shifted and the child tensed but the strange movement didn't slow down or lessen.

"They are here to kill you." Her voice had firmed, but retained its nearly inaudible softness.

A series of clicks and hisses followed her statement as the two Ra'zac conversed. The sounds produced brief flashes of colour, that were completely meaningless, but her eyes were drawn to them all the same. The colours in turn evoked brief sensations of feeling that without any understanding of their strange language remained ineffable and undecipherable. But the feelings with the colours were burned into her mind's eye. She was developing a migraine.

"Do you know their namesss?"

They were both at a loss as to how a mere child could know someone was in Dras-leona looking for them and her strange behaviour was equally baffling. Her right hand snuck into her unkempt hair, tugging on the filthy tangles and her left arm proceeded to twitch. Her eyes were darting about with a renewed intensity and a slight frown curled her thin bottom lip.

After several minutes of silence and weird body movements her head jerked from side to side. The taller Ra'zac sighed frustrated. It was obvious the kid was messed up either physically or in the head, he hadn't quite figured out, but it was also apparent that her information even if correct was virtually useless.

"I-I-I…" Silently both Ra'zac watched as her jerking motions became more pronounced. She began agitatedly scratching and rubbing at her temple while her other hand rapidly jerked, as she fumbled over her words. "I-I-know wh-where th-th-they are." Her twitching hand dropped to ground to strangle a handful of leaves while the other slowed its assault against her temple.

The Ra'zac jerked glanced at each other. They would have much to discuss later, and many things to investigate.

* * *

"Where are they?" the taller Ra'zac pressed. It was a good thing for the child that she had come to him opposed to his sister. His sister didn't have the patience required to interrogate people. She hardly possessed enough patience to tolerate sitting next to him while he did all the work. He was hungry now and his patience too was wearing thin. The girl's speech impediment wasn't making matters better.

"M-m-Marcus Tabor." She wrung her hands together and scratched her brow. "They're with Marcus Tabor."

He let out a low hiss that made the girl visibly stiffen. He didn't care. The Governor neither of them cared for. But if these people who were after them were in the Marcus' house, it put his loyalty to the king into question. This was certainly worth investigating. His sister from her own similar reaction would probably agree on this point.

New questions burned in his mind, but one was at the moment imperative.

In detached amusement he noticed the kid yawn tiredly. Most people couldn't relax in their presences and certainly nobody ever grew sleepy.

"Can you recognize them?"

The girl shuddered, arms hugged her knees and her hands roamed her face and hair scratching and clawing and rubbing raw any spot they could touch.

"I think it's met them," his sister whispered. The girl whimpered. What were words to his ears had been a hiss to the girl's. His partner met his gaze. "You were right."

He shrugged, their squabble from earlier already pushed to back of his mind. Grudges regardless of how small had a tendency to hound him like a second shadow, but some things were too trivial to even bother getting upset over: arguments with his impulsive hot tempered sister were one of the things.

Shifting to readjust to more a comfortable position, he guessed they'd been squatting for about twenty minutes watching a human child trying to cut its head off with its fingernails. He tortured humans when in desperate need of information, and he enjoyed it. They deserved it for what they'd done to his race. But watching a human torture itself was a lot less so. In fact, it had gotten to the point that he was disturbed.

The child had calmed to an extent, with its knees tucked to its chest and its head buried in its arms, its posture rigid. Strange twitches occasionally jerked her arms and fingers, but otherwise she was still.

"I-I can." Her hoarse whisper broke the silence.

* * *

The moment it answered her brother's question, the smaller Ra'zac knew what her brother was planning, because she had made the same decision. A number of questions needed to answered, but they had plenty of time for those. They were done interrogating it for the time being, and it would be going with them. They were hungry and wanted to eat, and the little human looked like the epitome of exhaustion.

Standing up, she enjoyed the feeling of blood returning to joints that had been locked in place for a long time. Her brother remained next to The Snack and leaning against a tree she decided to watch their interaction. A cruel disparaging side of her found enjoyment at the possible reactions the thing would have when her brother coaxed it into flying into their lair with him. It could be amusing, but then again she could wind up being disappointed and forced to settle with interesting as an alternative, because it was like no other human she'd ever encountered.

The creature leaped from its skin to put a wide berth between itself and her brother. The smaller Ra'zac decided she was amused. The kind was wide-eyed and staring at her brother, but not his face interestingly. Its hands and arms were jittery again, scratching and messaging its temples and forehead. It opened its mouth to say something, struggling to form the words needed to convey its message.

"I-I-d-d-d-d-don't-I don't like be-ing t-t-touched." It looked away from her brother then, it's hand pulled away from its temple with red crescent moons lining its finger nails rapidly waved its fisted hand next to head. "S'n-not-t p-per-er-sonal. It-s not p-personal." It's hand seemed to slow slightly. "I don't-don't like being touched."

The taller Ra'zac turned giving his sister a questioning look, from beneath his inky cowl. She shrugged uncaringly. Some help she was going to be.

Sighing he refocused on the human kid. It didn't want to be touched. Well it shouldn't have put itself in the situation it currently found itself in. Humans could be so dumb.

"I'm not going to hurt you." _Right now. _The girl took in a sharp breath, and her eyes slowly turned in his direction, even though her head remained cocked to the side. "Touch hurts," it muttered. Her head turned towards him, but her eyes didn't traverse to his face, but flicked about like they had earlier. Her twitching rapidly started again, with her right hand fisted and bobbing next to her temple, while her left hand found a large handful of leaves to crumple.

A small frown formed on her pale mouth. "You're not like most people?"

Shocked the child flinched as colour flashed across her vision. Shock. The same moment the colour appeared the Ra'zac leaning against the tree had hissed. Did her statement upset them? She hated the colours that hurt her head, but she wanted to see more, to see why her words had inspired shock.

Maybe they were upset because she had lumped them with 'most people.' Maybe they believed they really were gods. Confusion and doubt wormed their way into her head. Maybe they weren't different.

Overcome, with exhaustion and an ache in her chest she had no name for, she dropped to her side eyes shut. Maybe they would kill her, maybe they would leave her deciding she had no value outside the letter she had already delivered. Either way sleep would come. In the darkness behind her closed lids a single colour bloomed before fading into blackness

"What did you do to it?" The smaller Ra'zac asked, pushing herself off a tree trunk and walking over. The taller Ra'zac hadn't moved, still crouched next to The Snack. "I think she's asleep."

"It's a strange little creature."

Silently the taller Ra'zac inclined his head in agreement before picking the human up. Again he was surprised by how light it was. If he couldn't see it, he would have thought he held nothing in his arms. "I'll carry the slaves back if-"

"Thank you."

Surprised by the statement, the smaller Ra'zac hesitated. "For what?"

"For giving me a chance."

The smaller Ra'zac shrugged her shoulders. "You were right. The Snack is interesting."

The taller Ra'zac laughed at the nickname his sister had given the little girl. But halfway through his laughter he wondered what its name actually was.

* * *

**And that's the first chapter, with many more on the way.**


	2. The House of the Lord

**Author's Note: And here is chapter two. I have several written. I'm going to post them until I fall asleep. I've spent nearly five days writing this, which is why when I go back to read this in a week there will be a lot of errors, but as I said in my note in the first chapter, I will be editing it. A new chapter of FOTD will up soon.**

* * *

******"Every form is a base  
for colour, every colour is the attribute of a form. " ****-Victor Vasaley**

******Beauty and the Beasts**

**In the House of the Lord**

* * *

Cracking an eye open she found herself staring at a ceiling and laying in a fluffy cloud of cool white. Sitting up her eyes widened as she found herself in an opulent bedroom with wine red draperies and polished gold stained furniture. Heaven. The Ra'zac had died or maybe the pain in her chest had been her heart exploding….

She jumped from the bed surprised to find herself in a small white nightgown, that hung loosely from her small frame. Smiling she wrenched back the curtains, squealing as her eyes were blinded by the sun and brilliant flashes of colours. She dropped to the floor cradling her head as she waited for the colours to disappear. Dazedly she rose from the floor and peaked out the window. More colours. Gritting her teeth and trying her best to ignore them she saw dark wooden buildings and a cathedral in the distance. Her heart sank.

The Ra'zac hadn't killed her, she wasn't dead, and Dras-leona was not Heaven. Silently she tugged the curtain back across the window, and turned trembling to face the room. It was carved, gilded, shined, and so richly coloured that she found it disgusting after seeing the dark bitterness of the world outside. Dras-leona was a horrid house of refuse and debauchery, so where in the haunt of such depravity had the Ra'zac found such a heavenly place to dump her in? Maybe it was a gesture of thanks.

She was faced with two doors: one was a closet upon inspection, and the other opened into a corridor that formed a T. Her room was at the very end of it.

Curious, she tiptoed down the hall until she came to the end and stood at the branches of the T. To her right the hall ended after three doors. Turning her head left, the hall rounded a corner and she could see no more of it.

Laughter filled her sensations of yellow and realizing she wasn't properly dressed sprinted to her room in a panic. Slamming the door behind her she closed her eyes and leaned against it.

A sharp rap against the honey coloured door at her back made her jump, and turning she slowly opened it and peered out. Two servant-maidens stood outside. Their colours were loud and boisterous, many dots and splashes of colour exploded above their heads and their bodies glowed o'erlybright. In order to understand their reasons for disturbing the quiet of her small square shaped world, she tried to catch each colour with her eyes before it faded.

"Definitely in need of a good scrubbing," one of the maids said wrinkling her nose.

Remembering her thought from earlier, she belatedly realized the Ra'zac had not abandoned her in a form of Heaven, but in a form of torment disguise as a safe haven. She disliked them at that moment and on some level missed them: their colours were subdued and their minds burst with fewer of them.

"Come." The maid closest to the door tugged the girl from the room. Immediately the child writhed, cried, and fought to be released from the woman's grip.

"Ouch! You little horror!" The girl fell the floor and scrambling to get away.

"Oh no you don't!" The woman lifted the girl up and heaved her over her shoulder ignoring her incessant shrieking. The child kicked, squirmed, cried, and buffeted the servant's back with trembling fists to no avail.

"Don't you feel better now you're clean and shiny?" The maids asked as they forced combs through snarls and tangles. The child made no response staring unseeingly into the mirror as if dazed. Giving up one the maids took a pair of scissors and deftly hacked off the matted tangled locks.

"That's better, and you know what?" one the maids crooned, "Short hair looks relatively good on you."

"Anything looks better than that mane she had before," the other maid said setting down her comb and preening a curly golden lock of her own hair. The other maid laughed.

"Are you hungry?"

The child was lead to a table with fruit and porridge set upon it. She ate with a savage voraciousness, shovelling whatever edible items she saw into her mouth. The maids laughed at first taking joy in watching a starved child's joy of food, but when it became apparent that the child lacked the sophistication to wield a fork they found it less than amusing.

"It's a pity," a maid said scrubbing dishes, "feeding that child so she can be food for those horrid monsters. I feel like we're fattening the lamb for slaughter."

"What gets me is that the Lord would allow those carrion crows within this house. Thank goodness they coup themselves up during the day, I hate seeing them."

"I prefer them in the day opposed to the night, and just think that poor child has gotten herself entangled with them. The Lord should buy her freedom before those beasts do something heinous to her."

"We should speak with him and see if he'll free her."

* * *

"Is this a good idea?"

No reply was given save for the sound of two whetstones sliding against metal. "I don't see any other options," the taller Ra'zac answered detachedly as he inspected his blade in the light. "It's not the best plan we've ever had, but it should work."

"I was under the impression that the girl was a slave that Marcus sent to warn us. I was surprise the servants didn't recognize her when we arrived," the shorter Ra'zac said after a moment.

"It does make one wonder, doesn't it? I suppose we could question her."

Truly they both had thought the child was a servant. Now that they knew she had never been within Tabor's house, they were at a loss as to how she could know the governor was unwittingly housing assassins sent to kill them. Unless this was some wild goose chase and the child was making up stories, but then the question was why?

The conclusions they had come to were hardly feasible, maybe the child had just been in the right place at the right time to see something suspicious, but then how could she know someone was here to kill them. Being within the house put them at risk, but hopefully through mere observation on their par, they could figure out based upon her actions who the assassins were. It was a faulty plan due to her atypical actions thus far, but maybe luck would be on their side.

"Should we contact her?"

"Tonight we may pay the girl a visit." It would be a good idea. If the child knew they were watching her she could signal them when she saw these assassins.

* * *

The change in The Snack's meagre appearance was startling. If it wasn't for the fact the girl had such unusual mannerisms and eye colour the smaller Ra'zac may not have recognized it. It was fidgeting, and twitching, its eyes wandering about, as a maid spoke to it about something. More than once the maid snapped at the child for not paying attention making to smack it, but it dodged the blows. However the reprimands sent the child into more sporadic twitching and jerking, and its stutter as it struggled to repeat what the woman had said was rendered completely incomprehensible.

The shorted Ra'zac recalled The Snack telling her brother it didn't like being touched. Maybe that dislike for touching was what bothered it now. Finally with frustrated huff the maid left finished speaking to the little creature.

It stood rigid, facing the spot the maid had been standing, its eyes darting about. For a brief minute The Snack glanced at them and then away. It's fingered twitched a moment then fell still.

"Give us a sssign when you sssee them."

The words hung in the air, but the Ra'zac knew she'd heard them, because she was fidgeting and tugging at the sleeve of the dress she wore. However that didn't necessarily mean she understood though. After a moment of eye-wandering and fish-gasping she gave a jerky nod, tugging and wrinkling the sleeve even more.

A loud masculine laugh, accompanied by the heavy tread of boots, made the girl jump much the amusement of both Ra'zac. Wide eyed the girl turned toward the sound, a couple of palace guards off duty, followed by a servant were parading toward the kitchen the dining room.

Turning the child blinked. The Ra'zac were gone.

* * *

As they entered the dining room, they came upon a small girl looking down the hallway and around the room as if searching for something.

"Hey isn't that the brat the Ra'zac-?" whispered a guard elbowing his companions. The servant's eyes widened as he looked upon the waif.

"Yeah. I think you're right," murmured a second guard studying the child closely. "I think she is. I'd hate to be in her position. I wouldn't want anything to do with those-those-monsters."

"Are you lost?" The first guard asked. The girl turned around to face them, eyes adverted to the floor. She shook her head grimacing. "You sure?" He pressed. Her eyes were rapidly moving as she gazed unfocused in his general direction. They moved as if she were reading a book.

The guards shrugged and continued on, but the servant remained. He fingered his white beard as he stared down at her over his nose. She was a small little thing, malnourished and probably older than she looked. Her eyes' rapid movements were strange, but even stranger still was their light pink hue. In a book, the name of which escaped, he'd read about people born with extremely pale skin and pink eyes. Often they were allergic to the sun and prone to dying young.

* * *

She fidgeted under his scrutiny and then turned and ran.

The colours were not evil, they were melancholy and love. It was beautiful and saddening. For it was going to be destroyed, because his love drove him to vengeance: vengeance against other who wished to seek revenge against him. Hatred bred hate and she gotten herself entangled within its black clutches, and she could not escape, not alone, not without convincing those wearing such colours to find a way see past their grudges. If she could do that…. It was impossible.

Flinging herself into her room she tore at pillows threw aside a chair wrenched curtains from their rods and screamed and cried and howled as two maids and a guard seized her, tackling her to the floor. Colours filled her head, dancing in her vision, the hues and emotions they invoked becoming painful. They were too much to take in from three people at once, and pinned on the ground crushed beneath their combined weight her eyes rolled into her head and she fell unconscious.

A deep pain her chest woke her and she curled onto her side, wide eyed hugging herself as if afraid her heart, or lungs, or whatever was hurting would explode from her sternum. A stray tear meandered from her eye, across her nose and into a pillow case.

Behind her she sensed the shadows move, and her pain in her chest convulsively flared. Ra'zac. She could feel their eyes on her could see without looking their colours, melancholy and subdued unlike the humans' from earlier. It was relieving in a way, but distressing as well: only a few older than her and so full of hatred and darkness. She wanted to know why, but had not the courage to ask.

They didn't say anything to her. What could they say? They weren't going to ask if she was alright because they didn't care. They were probably here to either eat her if she died or to make sure she didn't.

The whole room began quaking and a strange creaking filled the air. Maybe it the building about to collapse or maybe the earth was moving, but the sound didn't let up nor did the shaking stop.

The Snack had certainly given Tabor reason to give them an ear full. She was in their charge and he had been most displeased by her unruly behaviour demanding that they do something about it. Admittedly neither of them liked the man much. He provided them with food, yes: but he was greedy corrupt and materialistic valued his furniture much too highly. But this was his city and his house and to an extent they were supposed to follow his rules. However, both of them had enough to deal with than a stupid food-morsel and getting into trouble, when they needed to be lying low was not something they could ignore, especially when it could cost them their lives. So they had stolen into The Snack's room to reprimand it, only to find it curled into a foetal ball twisted in its blankets.

It woke either on its own accord, or because its instincts told it danger lurked nearby. It must have been the former because it didn't acknowledge them in the slightest. Instead it curled into a tighter ball wrapping its arms around its torso, as if in pain. It was a truly pitiful image: that successfully deflated their anger. How could be? Then it began shuddering and shaking with the force of its emotions, so much so that the bed creaked and trembled.

"Up," the smaller Ra'zac whispered. Slowly, still shaking, the small critter rose, blankets sliding from its shoulders. It was unbalanced one arm wrapped around its chest in pain or fear neither Ra'zac could have said, although the smaller suspected it was probably pain. The other arm shook as it propped itself up and looked like it could barely hold The Snack's weight.

The pink eyes stared passed them, focusing in their usual manner on nothing for more than a few seconds.

"What happened?" The smaller asked.

The Snack wrung a part the sheet covering her in her shaking hands. Twisting and kneading it into a multitude of wrinkles. "I-I-I…" It shuddered involuntarily and its hand released the blanket to jerk up and down rhythmically as it fought to find the words to say. "I-I-d-d-d…." It bowed its head. "I-I can't."

Before the smaller Ra'zac said anything, her brother hissed. The Snack blanched, and shaking it scooted away. "Things could become unpleasant if-"

"I-I- saw-one o-of the-m t-t-t…he knows th-that I-I-I'm here…." The smaller Ra'zac stared, never in her life had anyone dared to interrupt her brother while he spoke. The Snack was either fearless, looking to get killed, or its affliction had addled its brain as well as its speech. "He-he m-m-migh-might try-try-t-t to t-t-ttal-talk," it continued. They heard the faint tearing of fibres and looking down the smaller Ra'zac saw a small rip slitting the wrinkled fabric her hands her convulsively mangling.

Slowly, almost cautiously, she thought, her brother reached a hand out toward The Snack, and it stiffened. It's hands moved faster and more spasmodically at the decrepit corner of the sheet. "I d-d-d-don't-t-t like to be t–touched," The Snack whispered. Its pink eyes watched the hand as if afraid it would bite her. The smaller Ra'zac observed the two of them.

Her brother's hand had stopped, but the Snack still looked worried. "Why?" she heard him ask.

The Snack began fidgeting again: twisting the mangled sheet corner. It rocked back and forth, shaking its head as if saying no. Maybe it was saying no, she belated realized. It continued its motions until her brother got the wise idea of flicking his fingers at it.

With a yelp, it balked. It hurtled from the sheets to stand on the opposite side of the bed. It began backing away, wringing out the neckline of her nightgown. "I-I-I-D—d-don't like t-to be- aagh!" It yelped as it fell with a loud thump. Her brother wasted no time leaping over the bed, to loom over the little morsel. It hopped up backing against a wall.

"_Why?"_ her brother asked softly. The Snack hugged its chest again gasping for air. She cocked her head to the side. This was going too far, although she didn't think her brother would hurt the child. The fear was doing enough.

It stuttered an incoherent jumble of fear-garbled word-like sounds. She watched as her brother took an imposing step forward and then another; each one prompting a new bout of fidgeting, and cloth-wringing, and temple scratching, and forehead rubbing, and stuttering, until he was standing within two feet of it.

"_I DON'T WANT TO SEE! I don't want to see! I-I-I-"_ It made a distinct choking noise and collapsed. It's gasping turning into breathless heaves for air and intermittent coughing.

The smaller Ra'zac leaped across the bed, and tugged at her brother's arm. "This is too much. It needs to rest and we need to figure out who 'they' are," she reminded unnecessarily. They both watched as the tiny human slowly regained the ability to breath. Utterly spent, it slumped against the wall, falling completely still. Its eyes seemed glassy as it stared at a spot before their feet.

This time she approached The Snack crouching a short distance away. It was the most unthreatening way to get closer, not that she could very well make herself appear less threatening. It didn't bat an eyelash at her close proximity. This wasn't good. She looked up at her brother for guidance, but he remained absolutely still gaze fixated on the creature.

Letting out sigh she almost laughed out of simple frustration. The sound spurred the human child to fidget momentarily before squeezing the neckline of its white sleeping dress. Offhandedly she wondered how the nightdress could be comfortable to sleep in, with its ruffles, buttons, and other lumpy things, but she quashed that thought, before it go any farther.

"When you touch people what do you see?" she asked neutrally. The best approach with a creature as sensitive as this might be through calmness; unfortunately she was often the one lacking patience-more so than her brother, but tonight it was her brother who was uncharacteristically angrier while she was mellower.

It whimpered and proceeded to continue strangling the neckline of its nightdress. It tried to shift away, putting distance between itself and her, but bumped into the side of the nightstand, successfully cornering itself and cutting off its own escape route. She wasn't going to complain about that. It twitched and its hands worked more furiously at the neckline of its nightgown.

"E-e-e-e…." It whimpered again closing its eyes momentarily, as if reliving a bad memory or centring itself before confronting a terror it had tried to hide from.

"_Everything."_

Its eyes fell shut.

Silence, heavy and foreboding hung in the air, as the two Ra'zac stared at each other across the small space. The human had collapsed her body unable to take any more stress and trying to heal. The taller Ra'zac shifted staring at his sister as she slowly rose.

"What does that mean?" she asked echoing his thoughts.

He shook his head. "I don't know." He hadn't been angry at the critter. He had been overly forceful though and that hadn't been the best of ideas. He stared at the little human girl. Most people slept with one eye open in their midst, she on the other hand fainted and fell unconscious around them. It was a seemingly horrible survival strategy, but it was working. They hadn't killed it yet, hadn't even harmed it yet. Many had not been so fortunate. But its pitiable state and feebleness made it disarming, its potential usefulness insured its survival (for the time being at least), and its strange behaviour made it mysterious and puzzles were fun to mull over.

His sister lifted it from the floor, its pale thin body like a twig and laid it on its bed. "The other humans will ask questions," she explained.

'_Everything.' _The word had a thousand different meanings, a thousand different implications, and there were a thousand different ways to interpret what she'd meant. The options were fascinating and the possibilities were exciting. The child could be useful to them in the future: the only captive they had that allowed to travel with them. Of course the trick would be to make it loyal enough not run at the first chance it got to do so….

* * *

The whole situation was turning out to be very good for them. But he was afraid. He was very afraid. If the child could truly see everything when she was touched, then their mental armour wouldn't work. All their weakness and strengths kept in the mind of a child whose mind had no protection was exceedingly dangerous.

It was his sister who again broke the silence after what had been fifteen minutes of them simply standing and staring at a sleeping child. What was wrong with them? She turned her head to look at him.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?"

The question wasn't what they'd gotten into. It was how to utilize their assets to get out of it. Of course there was still the matter of a small human child to deal with that was proving to be a big problem.

He had never heard of a child; elf, human, dwarf, or otherwise that could see 'everything' when touched. She could have been the power by a magician: this was the most feasible option, but wouldn't someone be looking for her? The taller Ra'zac didn't know a thing about her origins and that was troubling. The king too, was a problem. When he heard about her existence he would undoubtedly want her. He couldn't imagine who wouldn't want the girl.

So the trick was to gain her loyalty and trust, convince her to travel with them, on the backs of winged creatures born of nightmare and terror, while keeping her existence, her powers from being discovered. He didn't even know how to begin.

He could garner her trust while in the governor's house, but what about on the road? At home? He couldn't hide from her, their true nature. They hunted humans, and did a countless number of other things that might scare her away from them, when they were scary already.

Then once they had her feeling comfortable around them, how could they use her powers without anyone realizing it? What would they do if they unwittingly came across a magician that broke into the child's mind unable to break into theirs and discovered her gift?

He groaned and slumped back onto the mattress of a bed in the room Marcus had given them to 'camp out in.' His sister shifted, watching him worriedly. This was a horrible situation. No plan, regardless of how cunning could prevent a bad outcome for them in the end. Killing the child would be the simplest and safest thing to do, but that would be an absolute waste of her potential.

"Do think we just kill her?" he asked. His sister who'd been dozing until his dramatic fall into the pillows sat up stretching. "I told you this was a stupid idea the night you carried it into the woods. Now you believe me?"

"Yes."

She blinked. "I was Right about something for once? How did those words taste in your mouth?"

He sat up, attempting to stare her down. She laughed for his efforts and crestfallen he replied, "Like vinegar." She laughed more.

In a more serious tone she finally said, "It's useful. I suppose we can keep it around until things get ugly, and then it'll be a snack as you said the night you took it."

"What I worry about is what'll happen if the king gets word of this. Somehow we've been fortunate enough to keep Tabor from finding out."

His sister slid off the bed, stretching and readjusting the hood of her cloak. "We could… tell him."

The taller Ra'zac shook his head, sitting up. "He would take her from us, and then only the gods know what would happen to her."

"Then you propose treason as our course of action?" She stared at him. He shrugged. Honestly he hated the king. They both did. Twenty years of servitude was not what they wanted, but they hadn't had a choice in the matter. They were last of their kind. Galbatorix would have killed them had they refused him, and their race would have lost its only hope for future survival.

They were at an impasse, his sister would follow him regardless of he chose to do, but the choices he was being forced to make would prove bad for them either way. If they took her to the king, Galbatorix would take her and they would lose a very useful set of eyes on their mission, but if they kept her without his knowledge, there was a chance he would never learn of her and never take her, but on the other hand if he did find out which was far a more likely possibility he would kill them both and then either kill or take the child anyways. What could they do-

Any further musings were abruptly cut off by a very loud thump on the door.

* * *

Two days since she'd last seen the Ra'zac. It was troubling and worrying as she didn't know where they resided most of the time and they could be watching her at any time as she traversed the halls. She set the basket of laundry she'd been instructed to carry down in the washroom. Aside from food, she'd been given chores while she recuperated from the maids thought was a 'trying ordeal.' A rumour had begun circulating about her being the victim of unknown tortures, starved and beaten by the Ra'zac, and then found unfit to eat, dumped into the Lord's mansion to live the duration of her days out as a slave. Her speech impediment, twitches, shifting eyes, and permanent pallor were all results of the torture.

The fabrications were utterly ridiculous, but she couldn't tell them that, and she didn't want to in any event. The less contact with people, the less likely she was to be touched, and the happier she was. She liked the Ra'zac: they only sought her out when they needed to, once to tell her that they were waiting for her to identify who the ones after them were, and once to… to what? Why had they gone to her room? They'd never said, but that conversation had not gone as any of them had planned. She had a feeling they were as scared as she was.

The hairs on her neck stood on end, and a shadow crossed the wall. Bad colours filled her vision and shaking, she started to turn.

A hand was clamped over her mouth and her vision exploded with colours as her mind was bombarded by sensations of feeling and excruciating pain coursed through every limb. She screamed, into the hand covering her mouth.

"The Ra'zac, where are they?" How could she know that? Why couldn't people just leave her alone? Why? _Why?_ _**Why?**_

She was pushed against a wall. The hand removed itself from her mouth only to painfully clamp over it once more. "I'm not going to hurt you," a male voice hissed. "Just stop screaming"

She couldn't. Not when engulfed, by colours, emotions, thoughts, and experiences that weren't her. The man's entire life was playing out in her head and colours both old and new were dancing in her vision.

A maid bustled in, having heard the commotion, her panic-colours throwing themselves into the mixture. The girl screamed, silently begging for the welcoming warmth of darkness, where there were no colours. She could feel the flashes of heat and the cold clammy sweat breaking out across her palms and forehead as the darkness began to fog her mind. Soon she'd be free and far away. Soon.

Then a small voice, instinctual and dormant for many years begged the dark to halt. It was too soon and this body could not fall into darkness here. It wasn't safe. In a flash of pure adrenaline that made her scream and her chest tighten painfully she kicked out. Her foot collided with his crotch and she wrestled her way out of his grasp.

She was running, awkwardly and unsteadily as her head swam and her legs grew heavy. Still she ran. Colours, soft and subdued caught her attention and she oriented herself toward them.

Running and stumbling, she sifted through her mind, looking through his memories. He was one of them: the bearded servant she'd seen two days before. He was here and the other was… in the city somewhere. And there was the door!

She fell against the hardwood as her legs caved. She clung to the handle, and it turned throwing off her balance. From the dim shadow of the room an arm, gloved and swathed in black caught the door.

* * *

The smaller Ra'zac's hand fell from her hood to her sword, silently drawing the weapon from its sheath. The handle turned and something hit the door as it swung out. There was a third bump and very pale small hand flailed momentarily.

Catching the door, she peaked out. The Snack stood, slumped against the door, on the verge of passing out. The sight of her gave The Snack some vigour because, swaying heavily it teetered into a more upright position.

Without so much as a word she grabbed the droopy, useless, and impractical sleeve of its dress and pulled The Snack into the dimly room.

The moment the door closed it fell against it. Its vision was swimming, as its eyes began to flutter closed. "O-one is-is h-here. The other… i-i-s-is ou-out-t-t an-d…I-I- I th-th-th-in-k the ca-th-thed-r-r-al. Cath-erdral…" It fell to the floor its legs finally caving.

She looked up at her brother. It was now or never. Take the child or don't, as there would be no chance for them to change their minds. It was slowly recovering where it lay. Its eyes were open fully, but unfocused. She reached for it, but it blanched and whimpered. "P-p-pl-ease d-d-don-t."

"Knock it out," her brother warned a short distance away.

"M-mmake it _stop_," a small whisper begged. She stared at the small human as it succumbed to unconsciousness. She lifted it into the air. Its head lulled to the side then forward. She glanced at her brother whose back was turned as he quickly scrambled to gather what little of their supplies they had, before draping the small creature across her shoulder.

"We'll take it with us."


	3. Murderer and Mercy Killer

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritence Cycle. If I did the Ra'zac in the Cathedral would have eaten Arya**

* * *

**"Think carefully before asking for jusice. Mercy might be safer."**

* * *

**Beauty and the Beasts**

**Murderer and Mercy Killer**

A scent familiar and thrilling caught their attention and the Ra'zac followed it. They tracked it until they came across the person who the scent belonged to. A fifteen year old from a northern peasant village, with a dragon for a pet; he was the one their master was after and he had hunted them into their city, their cathedral, and their hands. Things couldn't have any more been perfect. There was no way they could fail now.

They stopped to convene for a brief moment. To have human soldiers as backup under the highly unlikely possibility they both were killed was not a bad idea. If they apprehended the boy he would be better fit for travel after being held in human hands than their own. They were supposed to keep him alive, but their ancestral battle with dragons and the knowledge that it was the dragon riders who nearly eradicated their people from the lands of Alagaesia for some reason made them less inclined to follow orders…. They probably wouldn't kill the boy, as tempting as the idea sounded, and that was where the problem lay: it was tempting, too tempting, enticingly so.

The old man travelling with the boy however, had physically been a part of the extermination of their race. He had caused them grievances then, and he had hounded every move they'd made after narrowly escaping the plight so many of their kind had not survived. He probably would die.

They agreed to split momentarily, as he needed to gather a small contingent of soldiers and his sister was currently carrying unneeded baggage.

The priests' slaves, forced to clean and maintain the cathedral were marvellous, the taller Ra'zac thought as the door soundlessly slid open at a light nudge. The two of them slipped inside. The trap was laid, and a contingency plan was in place in case they should fail here. The boy had undoubtedly started learning magic, and probably knew how to wield a sword now with the Old One as his companion: failure was possible. At the very least the boy knew how to shoot a bow as he carried one with him.

Slowly, the young rider rose muttered and looking reserved. Then his eyes widened in surprise and fury as his gaze fell upon them. The taller Ra'zac felt the excitement and thrill of the hunt well up inside him and he sank into a crouch. Beside him his sister snickered at the boy's shock. He wanted to snicker too, but not for the same reason.

From the boy's throat tore a roar of sound and pent up fury. His fingers deftly fitted an arrow to the string of his bow. The deadly shaft flew toward them followed by two more.

He dodged one of the lethal projectiles, the second missing him entirely. Out of the corner of his eye his sister had successfully leaped aside unscathed. With only a glance to confirm their intentions, they both split apart sprinting down opposite pews. This would force the rider to face a combined attack on either side.

It was a plan that should have worked. The taller Ra'zac put on a burst of speed, preparing to spring upon him, but the boy caught a glimpse of a vestibule hidden within the shadows behind the altar and with bow and arrow in hand dashed toward it.

Their quarry led them through a long dark hall illuminated by flickering torches that led to a priory with a belfry. The corridor ended at the threshold of a large wooden. Letting out an exclamation of victory the Ra'zac quickened their pace. The door blew asunder in a blinding flash of light, fragments of wood spinning through the air, and they skidded to abrupt stops shielding their inflamed eyes.

"_Shit," _the smaller Ra'zc lifted her cowled face from her elbow. Still seeing spots she could fuzzily make out the rider rounding a corner before disappearing. Her brother hissed an invective of his own to her left. She wasn't surprised. He'd been closer than she had been, and a splinter was embedded in his sleeve. She pulled it out, taking time to notice the blue slick tip, before dropping it. He uttered a soft 'thanks,' and relying on sent and the sudden crescendo of priests cursing at the top of their voices to take up the chase once more.

Slowly their vision cleared of the weirdly coloured spots, as they sprinted through a kitchen, past two startled monks following the boy's sent and the patter of his feet. A door swung shut in front of them, and the taller Ra'zac hissed in frustration as he pushed it aside. It slammed against the wall, reverberating on its hinges.

The taller Ra'zac hissed, ducking his head at the sudden brightness of the sun. They had come to the cathedral's garden. The sun, already setting perched on top of the surrounding wall. They could sense the boy running towards the wall. It was high, but he could probably climb over. They couldn't locate his exact position without blinding themselves, as the orange inferno would be too disorienting to look into.

Forced to rely on sound and smell they prowled into the garden with their heads down, crouched and tensed for any attack they couldn't see coming. There was a thud, accentuated by a huff, and followed by a short scuffling. They boy had scaled the wall. Knowing where he was they rushed at the wall clearing it in a single leap landing in a crowded street on the other side.

"Wait!" He grabbed his sister's arm.

"What?" Why? He went down that ally." She tried to yank herself from his grasp.

"I know."

"Then-"

He cut her off. "They're not going to stay in the city. They're going to leave and they'll be travelling at night."

"But if he gets away, he'll find the old one and they'll be together. The old one has been a problem in the past-"

"We stand a better a chance of apprehending them outside the city than we do here: there are too many places here for them to hide, and it's possible that there are people here could try to help them."

She hesitated and relaxed. "What do we do now?"

He paused, mulling over her words. "There is some supplies we need to gather," he finally answered.

"And what about the Snack?" the smaller Ra'zac asked curiously. He cocked his head to the side. _The Snack:_ apparently that was its name now. He could almost laugh. "Where did you put it?"

She shrugged uncaringly. "It's with a priest." The taller Ra'zac tucked his beak to his chest, thinking. What would they do with the child? They could leave her in Helgrind, but if they apprehended the rider and the old man accompanying him, the girl would die because no one would be there to feed her. Taking her with them could slow them down, and he wasn't sure how his parents were going to take being asked to babysit a human: he was sure their reaction would not be good, but under the circumstances it was best solution….

"I think…taking it with us will be more prudent."

His sister stared at him a moment, before turning toward Helgrind. She looked back at him.

"They are not going to like this." The worry was evident in her voice. He gave a slight nod silently agreeing.

As they both cleared the wall landing in the cathedral garden a small voice whispered, _it would have been easier to kill her._ He hoped the predicament he'd put them in proved to be worth the trouble it could cause them.

* * *

The walls were dark and a couple of flickering torches were the only sources of light in the small room. She'd been settled on a cot and a small bald one armed man sat with his back turned toward her scribbling with a feathered quill across a piece of paper. The Colours of the place they were in were dark, browns, reds, greys, and blacks; colours truly depressing to behold. But brief flashes of silver and gold and pale pink lit up the desolate morose atmosphere.

She closed her eyes. It did little to block out the colours or the feeling of dread they invoked, but maybe they helped a little bit. She felt depleted, diminished, and departed, yet the world with all of its colours and emotions swirled in her mind and heart, making everything hurt, and here in this place, wherever it was the Ra'zac dumped her, it hurt worse than it usually did.

A sharp rap at the door made both her and the squat man at the desk jump. Shaking with trepidation he fumbled with the doorknob before jerking it open. He paled, bowing low and deep as a cloaked figure slid into the room, darkening the torches.

Sitting up she stared at the colours around it-her. One of the Ra'zac: the female by the feel of it. It turned toward her, scrutinizing her from beneath its black hood. The girl curled in herself. It was here for something. The Ra'zac wanted something. She had nothing to give them, but it explained why she was still alive.

Then the female Ra'zac crooked a finger, beckoning her to join it by the door, and she quailed. She had nothing to give.

"Do not disobey the command of a GOD!" the priest hissed, striking out at the seemingly impertinent youth. There was loud smack and a whimper. Wide eyed the priest and the girl looked up to see his wrist caught by a by a gloved vice.

* * *

"Don't touch it," the Ra'zac hissed.

The smaller Ra'zac found it rather amusing how both humans' eyes widened in surprise. Out of her peripheral she saw the Snack's face crossing between fear, surprise, and wonderment. For half a second she wondered if anyone had ever defended it… then she deftly pushed that thought over a cliff.

"_Come."_ The Ra'zac commanded, pushing the startled priest aside. The Snack slowly, with a bowed head and nervous shifting eyes extricated itself from the cot. It stood trembling as it always did and hesitantly padded forward. Its eyes rose to about her chest level, but didn't venture near her face or hood.

She held the door open not to be courteous, but to keep an eye on the priest, who was staring at the girl with intrigued dubiousness. Swiftly, she shut the door. "You're going to have to move faster than that."

She glided down the hall at first continually peeking over her shoulder to make sure the girl was following. But to her surprise the child bustled to keep, trying to keep as close to her side as it possibly could without encroaching of her personal space. Its eyes occasionally shifted over to watch her, but more often they were darting about, as if seeing things that weren't there.

'_Everything.'_ The word drifted back from the dark recess of her mind where it had taken up residence in light of other circumstances. Maybe the child could see things others couldn't even when not touching people. Maybe….

* * *

"You took long enough," the taller Ra'zac stated as he observed them walking out of the trees that surrounded their mountainous home. He was a little surprise to see the human child walking so soon after whatever had happened to it that morning. However it looked poor and its pale features were sallow. Its eyes travelled up to his chest, stayed there, then fluttered to look at something else. Strange.

"Back up." He gesture toward the trees, and it did as instructed. It stood wringing its sleeve and rubbing at its temple. Satisfied, that they had enough room, he and his sister called up their parents, begging to let up.

After a brief moment there was a flurry of four wings and two creatures descended toward the ground. The taller Ra'zac shifted to see child with its hands clapped over its ears and it eyes cast upward, squinting.

Proud and dignified two Lethrblaka landed and drew in their wings. Their steely gazes landed upon them and the girl behind them. The taller Ra'zac pushed from his mind the lengthy explanation he'd have to give them later and bowed to them. It was out of respect and thanks that he did so and beside him his sister did likewise. It was also a form of greeting, one that got them flights to anywhere they needed to go.

After a moment they both rose and for a brief second to look at the child with them. With her aversion to touch of any kind he wondered if it would be best to knock her out first. Her eyes were adverted from his parents, yet staring unfocused in their direction all the same, and he got a distinct feeling that maybe her eyes weren't as unfocused as he thought.

Sensing a tension in the air, his mother shifted forward, to study the child more closely as it seemed to be the human child that was causing her own children to be nervous.

If he'd been tense before, he was panicking now, for the Snack was within striking distance. His mother sniffed at it, scrutinizing the sent as if that would give her insight into what the problem was. The child stood rigid and still, only a slight tremor in it fingers betraying its fear, well he assumed it was afraid. It habitually trembled at everything.

It was staring at the ground, which was good, as meeting his mother's eyes could have been taken as a challenge, but was frowning slightly as if mulling something over. He wondered what it was thinking and what it was seeing.

"You h-h-have," it whispered, wringing its sleeve. "B-b-beautiful c-colours." The words were so silent both Ra'zac had to strain to catch what the Snack had said. His mother recoiled slightly. He wondered how long it had been since anyone surprised her.

"I hope I wasn't just mistaken for a dragon," his mother growled. "No. I don't think you were." The taller Ra'zac said. All eyes were on the Snack, and its eyes were glued to a spot on the ground where planned on keeping them. A long silence passed, the only indication the little human was anxious, was the constant twiddling of its fingers as it stood.

"It's a strange little critter." His mother concluded. He completely agreed. Glancing at his sister he hoped she had a solution for this oversight. Catching her gaze he could almost feel her scowl burning him.

"Stay here. I'll go up and get what we need." She leaped onto the back of one of their mother.

He glanced at tiny offensive little wafer. It was visibly shaking more than before. "No I can-" "No. You can stay and babysit, because keeping the runt was your brilliant idea," she snarled. His mother took the air before he could retort. He glared at the stupid child. Why didn't he kill it?

It risked glancing at him. It didn't look afraid, only sad and forlorn. He probably kept the thing alive because it had the best pair of puppy eyes he'd ever seen.

"Stay here."

Its gaze wandered to the top of the mountain. "I-i-is s-he she mad at you be-be-cause of m-m-me?" He started. "A little." How did it know? How-

"I-i-m-m… I'm s-sorry." It looked absolutely devastated at the thought of her being mad at him for something as ridiculous as a tiny human child.

"Stay here." He repeated unsure of how to respond. "Do not move from this spot." He pointed to where she stood. It inclined its head jerkily and sat down.

Slowly he backed away, before leaping onto his father's shoulders. The Snack hadn't moved. Then muscles pulled mightily at the air and he was lifted, on great powerful wings, toward the cave where they lived.

He leaped into the cave. His sister looked up. "Took you long enough; did you fight it before coming up here?" She shoved something into a shoulder bag. "I hope it wasn't too difficult for you handle."

You didn't-_What_? You left it out there? _Alone?" _He had checked before enter the cave, to make sure it had not moved. "Why? That thing is dangerous. It knows where we live, where our cave is. It knows how to find us. How do you know it isn't going to get up and walk away? How do you know it's not doing so right now?"

She was livid and he knew she had a right to be.

"Have taken leave of your senses? That thing is dangerous."

"Why do you fight?" their father's voice asked. He had been strangely quiet the entire time. "Your hatchmate is right. Why do you fight with her?"

The taller Ra'zac looked up. "That child is potentially useful to us and I think it would be wasteful not to take advantage of her abilities."

"What are her abilities?" His mother asked with genuine curiosity. He tilted his head to the side deliberating. He honestly had no idea what the kid could really do. He had to provide answers with as few details as possible, while not appearing ignorant.

"He has no idea what that child can do, if it can do anything," his sister hissed from a room with in the shadowed corridor of the cave. He glared, but refrained from arguing.

"She can see things," he said giving up on proceeding with his previous idea. "I'm not sure what she can see specifically, but she has stated multiple times that she does not like being touched, and-"

"I've got everything!" The smaller Ra'zac called emerging from a storeroom, with two backpacks, and a fairly heavy looking shoulder back.

"By the way it said it sees 'Everything' when touching somebody," His sister clarified. "I don't know if the child lies or not, but I do know that if the child can glean any amount of information about a person simply by touching them, we could wind up in very serious trouble. There are enemies that could take her and use her against us. She could be useful, but the risks outweigh her usefulness and I don't think the risk is worth it."

"I have an idea or two to avoid some the trouble you're speaking of."

The smaller Ra'zac crossed her arms. "Really, like what?"

"I was thinking we could try convincing it stay of its own volition."

She uttered a laugh. "That will never work! I can't believe you seriously think that'll work."

"I don't know if it'll work, but I do share your fears and if you're right, having its willing loyalty will make it a lot easier for us to control it. If that doesn't work we keep it as a prisoner here or kill it," he said. "For the time being it's safe, and unknown," he added as an afterthought.

His sister tilted her head weighing his words. She seemed relieved that he had some form of idea as to what he wanted to do, but she seemed reluctant to voice it.

"Do you truly believe it's worth the risk?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She uttered a long drawn out sigh momentarily meeting the steady gazes of both parents. They remained silent. This was their children's crusade and they had no part in it aside from being curious spectators. "I don't like this, but…." She couldn't look at him.

A heavy silence hung in the air. "Well? What? You win. We need to go."

"You're sure you have everything?"

He peeked into the bags. He pulled out a flask. "This, we can leave. Master will be furious if we lose another one like we did last time we flew." The smaller Ra'zac nodded and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the cave. In the meantime he rummaged through the shoulder bag, giving everything a double take. She had gotten everything they needed along with a few items that had not considered taking. She returned and he gave a satisfied nod. He shouldered one of the two backpacks and the shoulder bag.

"How are we going to carry the runt assuming it's waiting for us?" The smaller Ra'zac asked. They both once again bowed to their parents.

Leaping onto the shoulders of his mother he said, "Knocking it out will work."

* * *

If the smaller Ra'zac could have blinked in shock, she would have. Surprisingly the child had stayed sitting in the spot her brother had left, and even more surprising she was curled up sleeping. It blinked groggily at their approach and slowly stood up, dusting itself off.

From her Mother's shoulders her brother told her to remain where she was. He was going to speak to alone, which was fine by her. This was his idea and frankly she didn't care a lick about it. Contentedly she watched from her perch listening to what he said.

The child blanched as he stood over her. Apparently, it was aware of what was going on, because he hadn't said anything yet.

"I-I-I d-don't w-w—w-w want to see."

He bowed his head in thought. He didn't want her to see anything either. "Is there a way for you not to sssee?" The child blinked and agitatedly began ravaging her temple and the neckline of the dress she wore.

The sight was perturbing as the human child seemed to have every intention of gauging a hole into her own head. Finally it responded with a quasi-coherent statement: "Dead."

The taller Ra'zac visibly jerked and even the smaller Ra'zac started. Did it want to die? Why- Who would say that unless…unless, it really did have a death wish. She was more than happy to oblige, then they wouldn't have to worry about the Snack becoming a liability later. However her brother made no move to kill it. What was he waiting for?

"Hey! We need to go!" The shriek sent the runt into a bout of fidgeting and fussing.

"I-i-i-is she s-s-till m-mad?"

What? The shorter Ra'zac couldn't fathom what this about, but her brother did because he uttered a soft sound of amusement. "Lesss so than before." The stupid little child nodded. "I-I-I d-don't s-see when I-I sl-ee-p." It frowned and stepped away from her brother afraid of being struck.

"I will… help you not sssee if you help us."

Its eyes widened and it stared at his chest in shock. So many emotions flashed across its visage, then it frowned. "W-why w-w-w-ould-d-d-d-d…." It fidgeted and scraped at the side of its head once more. "W-w-w…."

The smaller Ra'zac stared. It didn't know how to respond to his statement, but liked what it had heard, or it seemed to. But its frustration with its own speech impediment seemed to be driving it up a wall.

"We need to go!" They really did. They needed to least figure out where the boy, his dragon, and human travelling companion were going to make camp. The human child cringed, leaving dark red marks in its scalp.

The faint trickle of blood dribbling from her hair prompted him into action. He grabbed the child's wrist before it cut itself any deeper. Like one of the damned it howled releasing from its tiny body a horrid keening wail. For a brief moment he was truly amazed by how something so small could produce such a big noise. It fought, shaking, trembling, almost convulsing as it tried to free itself from his grip all the while screaming.

Abruptly it fell still, slumping limply as it stared unseeingly past his knees. He lifted it to its feet, but its legs seemed unable to support it. He stared at it.

"Will you ssstand up."

I didn't hear him or maybe it couldn't. A tear rolled down its pale cheek and not knowing what else to do he lifted it, slinging it over his shoulder.

"What did you do to it?" His sister asked. He settled the child in front of him. It leaned into him, boneless, trapped in whatever it was seeing. Positive, that the child wouldn't fall during flight, he turned to his sister. "I don't know."

And they spoke no more of what they'd just witnessed for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Author's Note: I ussually put one at the top, but I kind of forgot. Anyways I hope the story makes sense so far. I will clan it up eventually.**


	4. Wounds

**Author's Note: This is really not up to my usual standard of writing. I felt like posting it, because I didn't know what else to do with it. I will come back and edit it at some point.**

* * *

"**It's not me; it's not my family in your head. They are dying!"**

******Beauty and the Beasts**

**Wounds**

* * *

"We can't go back to Dras-Leona can we?" asked Eragon.

Brom shook his head. "Not for a few years."

Eragon held his head between his hands. "Then should we draw the Ra'zac out? If we let Saphira be seen, they'll come running.

"And when they do, there will be fifty soldiers with them," said Brom. "At any rate, this isn't the time to discuss it. Tonight will be the most dangerous because the Ra'zac will be hunting in the dark when are most dangerous. We'll have to trade watches until morning."

"Right." Eragon stood, squinting into the darkness. He'd seen something, shadow darker than the other nightly shadows.

"What is it?" asked Brom unrolling his blankets. Eragon stared a moment longer, but the different shades of dark blue and black were converging on one another as his eyes grew fatigued. He turned back shrugging. "I don't know. It must have been a bird. Pain surged across his skull and Saphira roared. Then all sights and sounds fell into darkness.

* * *

"We told you to stay put," the shorter Ra'zac snarled at the intruding child. It stood on the edge of the camp watching with its head tilted to the ground.

"Leave it," the taller Ra'zac said. "It can't do any harm hugging a tree."

The child fidgeted with a sleeve uncertainly, before taking a tentative step away from the small shrub she'd been clinging to. With slow tentative steps it crept toward the light of a lantern the Ra'zac had set in the centre of the camp. The taller hissed a warning as she pushed the boundaries of their patience.

"You really should have killed it."

The child in a strange way wished she knew what the clicks and chirps the Ra'zac spoke with meant, but the colours she saw made her think it was probably best she didn't. These were the two she'd seen, she'd helped them and soon she'd be helped in turn. She glanced at the taller Ra'zac. Would he keep a promise or was he like everybody else?

She pointed at the younger of the two men. The dragon rider. "H-h-he w-will wake soon."

* * *

A dull throbbing aroused Eragon as blood pulsed in his head. He cracked his eyes open and winced; tears rushed to his eyes as he looked directly into a bright lantern. He blinked and looked away. He tried to sit up, but the throbbing in his head as well as the fact that his hands were tied prevented him from doing so.

Turning lethargically he saw Brom's arms and relief coursed through him. They were alive. They'd been captured. _Who captured- _he swivelled his head until a pair of black boots entered his vision- _us? _

Fear shook him as he gazed up into the hooded face of a Ra'zac.

* * *

_The child had spoken true._ It had scampered off not seconds before he began shifting, running back to their waiting parents. He stared down into the startled eyes of the young rider, savouring the triumph of their victory, and wondered if the Ra'zac had looked equally startled when the riders had stood over them.

The boy's brow soon furrowed and the taller Ra'zac laughed at his futile attempt to use his magic. It was humourless laugh conjured from the dark cynical hatred he bore toward all dragons and their riders. These two were just like the others had been. "The drug is working yesss? I think you will not be troubling us again."

Chains rattled and he savoured the look of horrified shock on the rider's face as he saw his dragon captive. "She was most cooperative once we threatened to kill you," he explained.

Had they been any other pair of dragon and rider he would have killed them, but these two while having been taught to hate and fear them probably didn't know the history of the animosity between themselves and the Ra'zac, so he spared them. The old one, still unconscious did know the history. He had even been a part of it.

Tired of standing over the boy as he was fairly uninteresting resembling every other human; with supple, soft skin, a pair of coloured eyes, and a hairy head, he settled next to the lantern where the rider's belongings lay to see if they contained anything fascinating. His hopes weren't particularly high.

He pulled from the depths of the rider's bags, dingy socks and an assortment of useless items. The old man having once been a rider would probably have far more interesting possessions, but he'd figure he'd finish the boy's first.

And lo he pulled out a sword, its keen edge a deep rich crimson in the lamp light. He glanced at the boy who watching him. "What a pretty thing for one so…insignificant. Maybe I will keep it." The boy's eyes flashed with steely anxiety. If he could have smirked at the young rider he would have. As it was he chittered momentarily before sneering, "Or maybe, if you behave, our master will let you polish it."

Returning his attention back to the blade he turned it over.

"Wow!"

* * *

Eragon winced at the Ra'zac's screech when it saw the symbol on the scabbard. His companion rushed over, and they huddled over the sword hissing and clicking in their foul language. He remembered Brom mentioning something about Morzan when he was talking about his hunt for Saphira's egg. He hadn't really thought about it, but maybe the Ra'zac had known the man. At the very least they seemed startled by the blade and recognized it for what it was.

Finally they averted their gaze to him. "You will serve our Master very well, yesss."

* * *

"That's impossible…" the smaller Ra'zac whispered. Glancing up at her he couldn't believe it either. "I know, but…how did they find it?" He asked. It was Zar'roc. A dragon, Ra'zac, and rider killer he currently held in his hands, and the boy who was too young to have even met the original wielder of such an evil blade was carrying it!

"The old one killed him." His sister answered softly. He looked up at her. "I know. But this is _his_ sword…"

"He should not be wielding it." His sister cast a pointed look in Eragon's direction. "Accursed bloody thing that it is."

"I know…" He looked at the young rider, who was staring at them with an unreadable expression. "You will serve our master well, yesss."

"If I do I will kill you," the boy slurred venomously. His sister laughed at the boy's attempted threat. "Oh no, we are too valuable," she said with sugar. "But you… you are disposable."

On the other side of the camp the dragon growled with the same futile threat that the boy had spoken with. It was funny, how even being tied up, or in the dragon's case shackled they were still willing to talk with defiance and bravery. The Ra'zac were not merciful, nor had they ever tried to be. They simply did what was in their best interest. They only way they would survive was by being selfish and that left them with no room for compassion. The sooner the young rider learned that the lesson, the better chance he had at surviving.

The old one groaned, and her pent up fury flared.

* * *

"It'sss wearing off," the smaller Ra'zac snarled, thrusting Brom effortlessly into the air.

"Give him more." The taller Ra'zac dropped Zar'roc into the bag he'd pulled the sword from, much to Eragon's brief relief.

"Let'sss just kill him," the shorter Ra'zac suggested with a tone that Eragon would have described as happy. "He's caused usss much grief."

The taller one drew his sword staring at the way its edge gleamed in the light. It fondly ran its finger down the blade. "A good plan. But remember the king's instructions were to keep them _alive_."

"We can say he was killed when we captured him." Eragon's heart leaped fearfully. He trying mentally preying the other Ra'zac would decide against it.

"And what of thisss one? If he talkssss?"

_No, No, NO! Please…._

The smaller Ra'zac cackled drawing a dagger. "He would not dare."

_Please. No, NO, No. Don't! Please don't._ There was a long silence broken only by his shallow fearful breathing.

"Agreed," the taller Ra'zac relented, before it helped its companion drag Brom to the centre of the camp. Eragon tugged at his bopes and froze when the keen tip of a sword glinted before his eyes. "None of that now," it said poking at his side for emphasis. _I have to do something, but what? What can I say?_He watched, gripped with muted horror as the smaller Ra'zac tugged Brom's head back.

Above him the taller Ra'zac sniffed the air, before gazing out into the darkness of the night, his grip on the sword tightening.

* * *

His hackles rose as he caught a strange yet familiar sent wafting on the air. It was human he was certain, but he could not place the sent with a name or face, which meant whoever was out there was someone he'd not come across for many years.

With lamp lit, his vision was cut off and the sent he was sure originated from somewhere fairly close.

He heard a faint buzz and seconds later a cry of pain. A long shaft protruded from his sister's arm. There was another buzz and he ducked as a second arrow hissed above his head. Leaping to his sister's side he wrenched the arrow from the wound.

"Behind those rocks."

He gave her a light shove and he Sheparded her behind them in time to avoid several more arrows that whizzed past them. He knocked one from the air with his sword before ducking behind one as well.

"Where the Hell-"

* * *

Eragon vainly tugged at the ropes imprisoning his limbs.

"Get down!" he shouted as Brom teetered toward him, falling with a painful grunt.

There was a lull and arrows hissed into the camp from the opposite direction. The Ra'zac ducked and dodged the majority of them but the smaller let out a cry as a shattered one buried itself in its arm. It fled, running toward the road that was only a few hundred meters away. It kicked Eragon viciously in the side as it passed. The taller hesitated, and then snatched its companion's fallen knife from the ground and raced toward the road.

The taller Ra'zac whirled around as arrows embedded the ground at its feet and hurled the knife at Eragon.

* * *

A howl of pain and denial cut through the night, reaching his ears as the taller Ra'zac caught up to his companion. She was leaning against a tree holding her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" He asked tearing at the hole in her sleeve to widen it so he could see.

Blood like indigo in the dark of night welled from the hollow he'd torn the arrow from earlier.

"The other hurts worse, but this one is bleeding worse," she answered. He shifted to see the other. "This one shattered."

"I know."

"Are you sure you're-"

"I'm fine. I promise."

She stood up straight and started walking. A heavy silence settled over them as they quietly passed over tree roots, and small plants.

The arrow in her shoulder burned, like hot iron, but she bit her tongue. With enough on his mind already she didn't need him worrying about her. He needed his peace of mind for once.

"What do we do now?" He asked. Shocked she froze, before taking another step. He was planner and strategist, not she. He was far more analytical and not so easily swayed by his emotions than she was, but he was tired and his mind needed to rest. Weariness laced his voice.

"I don't know," she whispered dejected. How she wished she could be more help to him, but she didn't know what to do either. With nothing more to say, a tense melancholy silence covered them.

Their parents and the child were waiting for them in the clearing where they'd left them. Originally they were going to come back conquering heroes, but there was no fanfare for them. All they were received were disappointed looks from their parents. And the child hesitantly rose from the place she'd been sitting.

Wearily they passed the child, and it was only from her peripheral that she saw the child's hand.

It grabbed her should where the burning arrow tip lay. She screeched, and whirled on the child, grabbing its shoulder in an iron grip. A bone cracked and it screamed as the pain in both her shoulders vanished. The child fell trembling, coughing, and sputtering as she staggered back appalled. A ring of steel caught her attention, and she turned.

"Stop!" She grabbed her brother's arm. He snarled. "Why?"

On the ground still couching and trembling, the Snack covered its ears.

"Don't. It didn't hurt me. I over reacted."

"No. You were right we should have gotten rid of it sooner," he wrenched himself from her grip.

"Stop! I'm the one who is wrong!" She grabbed his arm again. "How did you do that?" She demanded reeling on the child as she tried to keep her brother at bay.

"The arrow wound doesn't hurt anymore," she whispered to him.

He froze falling eerily still. "I thought-"

"I lied." She whispered. "I didn't want you to worry." He bowed his head, glaring at the ground. A heavy silence disturbed only by the child's breathing and occasional cough fell over the small clearing.

"Fine," he snarled pulling away. Sheathing his sword he strode across the clearing where he stood staring into the trees.

Sighing the smaller Ra'zac fixed her gaze upon the small child. It was blearily propped on a trembling arm that looked like it was about to give way anytime. It's other arm hung limply at its side.

_Oops, _she thought squatting a short distance away from it. Immediately it sidled away, still shaking and trying but failing to suppress a cough.

"How did you do it?" She asked quietly. Its shaking intensified and its one good arm jerked. She had a weird feeling it pointing or counting something above the right of her head that she couldn't see.

"C-c-colours." It pointed to its shoulder where one of her wounds would have been in relation to her own body. "C-col-colours." I pointed and nodded, facing the right.

"You see coloursss?"

It shook, its good arm jerking or fumbling with a sleeve or raising its hand toward its temple. Her neck burned from where three pairs of eyes were watching this interchange take place.

"I see." The snack again pointed to its arm.

"Why did you do that?" She asked softly. The child flinched violently and a second later she heard the swish of her brother's cloak. The Snack tried to scramble back, but its maimed arm and lack of strength prevented from going more than half a foot.

"I put the sssword away," her brother responded in a bored sounding monotone, but she knew he was anything but bored. He was every bit as curious as she was about the snack. That's why he had walked back over and was now sitting a few feet away.

Its trembling lessened at his words, but it cast him a leery glance from the corner of its eye.

"Why did you do it?"

Its arm jerked and its hand bobbed in the air once again appearing to point at something. Then it scratched it temple. "I-I-I… the-the col-colours," her voice fell very quiet, "hurt." She cocked her head to the side trying to see it better.

"They hurt." She glanced at her brother who shrugged uncertainly. They returned their gazes to the Snack. It was shaking and had turned away as if trying to hide its face from them.

Not really sure what to do she decided to fill her brother in on their conversation. "The Snack sees colours and they hurt it."

"I heard everything," he answered. The wonder having a language no one else could understand was never more apparent than when they needed to discuss things secretively about other people who happened to be physically present.

"You helped me because the colours you saw hurt you?" That summarized very well what it had explained to her, and hopefully that was how it meant for her to understand its choppy words. It nodded, before frowning. It shook its head as if that was not it had meant the words after all. And then it shuddered and its arm was once again convulsively raging and its hand was violently bobbing.

"The-the c-col-colours show what is-is hid-hidden."

"What'sss hidden?" her brother asked. The Snack shuddered and looked away from him.

"M-m-man-many different thing-gs," it replied. It was shaking and refusing to look at him, and in a strange way the smaller Ra'zac found the little creature bordering on a bizarre form of cuteness. It shook, and as tremors wracked its frame its words became increasing hard to interpret.

"You-you're ," it sidled away trying to put distance away from them which for the moment they allowed. "Y-y-y-ou-you-'re-s-sla-sla-en-en-sla-v-slaved-enslaved." It nodded convulsively. "Th-the-the col-col-c-colours say." The hand attached to its good arm began mauling the side of its head.

The Ra'zac stared at each other.

This child, this whole situation was not something they had been taught to deal with. Their parents having keen hearing had caught enough of the conversation, the shorter Ra'zac was sure, to have a general idea of had been said, and a short squall of chirps from her mother was the only indication she received, that were as flabbergasted as the two of them were. What uncanny and bizarre creature were they dealing with?


	5. The Many Shades of Black

**Author's Note: Here is yet another chapter with several more on the way. To be very honest I have no official plot line for this story…. Only a vague notion of where I want it to go, so if anyone would like to suggest something please let me know. And I thank any and all who have read this far.**

* * *

"**The best way of dealing with the insane is to pretend that you are sane" **

**Beauty and the Beasts**

**The Many Shades of Black**

* * *

All was silent in the cave, as the sun peeked between the crags of Helgrind's four peaks. The taller Ra'zac heard the clang of a metal door from the darkness of the cave's depths. He looked up as the form of his sister slowly emerged from the darkness to sit next to him, on a large rock jutting out of the wall.

"Two days and it still hasn't woken."

He tilted his head watching the first rays of sunlight playing shadows on the wall.

"It's alive at least. That last flight was too much for it to handle." He mused.

"On top of the healing," his sister added quietly. He nodded.

He yawned, and stretched out. The sun was up, which meant they should have been sleeping, but he was too tired to rest properly, and his sister was too worried about him to sleep. Besides, the child would be hungry when it woke, if it awakened at all, and one of them would need to be around to feed it, and to the lock the door of the dungeon it was residing in so it wander where it shouldn't. There were some places that it would get killed going into, like the subterranean pool deeper within Helgrind, and their parent's sleeping chambers to name a few.

"I have an idea," his sister exclaimed. "We could take it to the priests. They are human and they would have the power to help it or at the very least they could figure out what's wrong with it."

He mulled it over. It was an appealing idea, but it was risky. Wandering in with a child in his arms would raise suspicions and make the priest wonder about the child's value. They could learn about its powers, or they could try converting it to their religion.

"They might," he conceded. "And then they would try start asking or worse someone would learn about it." He scowled. "It has only been two days; it may be able to go awhile unconscious. We can wait a while longer I think."

"The king is coming in a matter of days. What do we do with it then? If we reveal it to him he may take it as you said before or not, but not showing him is treasonous no matter how you look at it."

He turned toward her wonderingly. He couldn't fathom how could either one them even consider committing treason for a child they had been holding onto for three days or what that child meant to them to even consider such a thing.

"Undoubtedly he'll send us back to Carvahall."

He shot her a quizzical look, that couldn't be seen from beneath his hood. "What does that have to with it?"

"We can take it with us. Should he find out about the child or should we tell him, we might be able to take it Carvahall with us either way."

It was a reasonable suggestion, but what course of action they chose to take boiled down to whether or not they chose to tell the king. Then again, it was their food, and there really wasn't any reason to inform the king of it in the first place. In all actuality the act of not telling the king wasn't even as bad as killing the old dragonless rider would have been.

He didn't like the king. Keeping the child would be one less weapon in his hands to use against them or anybody else, not that he gave a lick about what Galbatorix did to anybody else. Nobody but he and his family were of any importance to him. The answer was suddenly clear: they would keep it.

Now all they had to figure out was how to utilize its abilities to the advantage and keep it alive in Helgrind when forced to take up temporary residence elsewhere.

"You seem to have warmed up to my idea since it healed your arrow wounds."

The shorter Ra'zac snorted. "I always said keeping the child was a brilliant idea." He chuckled shaking his head. "If you say so."

Abruptly the shorter Ra'zac stood, peering into the cave. He slid to her side and peered into the darkness as well.

"I thought I heard… maybe it wasn't anything," she whispered. They stood a while longer listening to the loudness of the silence. Then they heard the faint scratch of metal against rock and it was silent against once more.

"Did you lock the door?" He asked. It didn't sound like the child had opened the door.

"No."

He stepped forward. "Come!" The word was a loud shrill whistle any human was sure to hear.

His sister turned her head. He could feel her eyes asking 'what the Hell?' even though he couldn't see her face. "You know humans can't understand our language?"

"I want it to know where we are, so it doesn't go wandering off." He took another step forward only to pause as the very soft scrape of metal lightly grazing stone was heard.

Like a small ghost, the child emerged from the dark, where it stood blinking at the bright sunlight entering the cave. Its appearance was rather dishevelled, but it was standing erect and looked a little bit healthier. Maybe it had needed its sleep.

It padded pasted them a little stiffly, its left arm swinging limply. He silently watched at it went and stood at the entrance of the cave squinting into the sun's bright light. Covering its eyes a small breath escaped its lips as it studied the world outside from on high.

"That's a long way to fall," his sister warned it as she retook on the rock. After a moment he slid back onto the rock as well, to observe the child observing its surroundings.

It jumped slightly at slight brush against its calf. Alarmed it looked down to see a small plant growing out of a rock crevice. It ran a finger down one of the leaves, with wide light pink eyes. It settled down on the ledge that was the mouth of their cave with its feet dangling above a very long precipice.

"Y-y-you h-have a-a-a-a bea-beautiful home," it whispered.

He almost laughed. It had spent the night in a dungeon. They had bones left over from their last meal littering their nest, they had a whole store room containing nothing but devises for torture, and it said they had a beautiful home. Its naivety was a novelty and he chuckled in cynical amusement. It had no idea who or what they were, but that was a good thing he reminded himself. It would be a lot easier if it willingly chose to stay with them, so rather than educating as he might have he reclined against the wall and allowed it to live within its happy little fantasy.

"Are you hungry?" his sister asked. The child immediately turned as if surprised. It frowned at the cave floor in thought, as if the concept of food was exotic and unknown. Then with a slight shiver it stood and scratched at its eyebrow seemingly troubled.

It made a few phonetic utterances but nothing coherent.

"Water."

* * *

The smaller Ra'zac slipped off the rock and motioned for it to follow her. It did for a few yards until it stopped staring dubiously at the pitch darkness of the cave.

"Come," she said gesturing for it to follow. After another moment of hesitation it cautiously approached.

After only a few minutes in the dark the Ra'zac felt a tugging on her cloak, and turning she found the hand of the child clutching her cloak.

"You cannot see in the dark." She wasn't really sure if she was asking or stating a fact. Its grip relaxed slightly.

"N-no."

After a moment its pace slowed and its grip in the folds of her cloak tightened. At first it was bearable and even ignorable, but the farther they moved away from the sun the slower the child walked until she swore she saw snails trailing along faster than they were going.

"Look," she said. After a second the grip of the child's hand on her cloak slackened and its step widened. "This isss our home. There isss nothing here besssides us."

Its eyes were wide and frightened in the blackness. It made a noise that she couldn't identify the meaning of. It wasn't a whimper, but it wasn't a sound conveying fortitude or courage either.

Her words worked though, because they were walking at a bit more of a reasonable pace. She could hear the faint drip of water in a subterranean pool not too far away. However the moment she guided it into a narrow corridor branching off the main trunk of the cave the Snack tensed again and their pace slowed once more.

Stifling a growl of annoyance, she stopped and the child immediately froze, tensed and seemingly ready to bolt. "There isss nothing here that will hurt you, except me if you don't ssstart moving_ fassster_."

"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," it stammered bowing its head meekly. It's hand shook, rigid with veins standing out.

"The ground isss uneven here."

It nodded, and she started again.

She cocked her head to the side and her hood shifted back, but in the dark her face wouldn't be visible to the runt sticking to her so it didn't really matter. An idea had occurred to her. Maybe if she kept talking they could travel faster. It seemed so far that whenever she had spoken it relaxed infinitesimally.

"So," she began. _Great, what am I supposed to say?_ She had only ever sought out human company when she needed food, or a job done. Beyond that her experience holding conversations with humans was very little, and she had never offered condolences to a human before. What did humans talk about? What could she say to it?

Casting a quick glance over her shoulder she found that it was gazing up-its eyes weren't focused on her so she couldn't be sure if was waiting for her speak or not. Its brow furrowed slightly; maybe it was.

"You really like our home?" She could have hit herself. After a moment it gave perceptible nod. "I-I-I like the-the view."

"We do too."_ Now what?_

The child remained silent. It would have been a lot easier if the child could start a conversation; surely it had a million questions it wanted to ask, but it held its tongue.

The cloak was wrenched and she turned in time to catch the falling human by the back of it dress. It slowly re-gathered its wits and stood up.

"S-s-sor-sorry."

With an agitated huff she stared walking again. It caught her cloak and trailed after her.

The child shuddered and quickened its pace so that it was holding her sleeve, rather than her cloak, as if it instinctually felt the walls of the narrow corridor give way to a wide open space.

"We're here. Now let go of me." She tugged her arm from its grip and it whimpered.

"Please don't leave," it whispered.

The smaller Ra'zac tilted her head to the side gazing on the pitiful little critter with new interest. Never had any human begged her to stay, it always the opposite in fact. Something about her mere presence made humans quake with fear, but this human was either fearless, or its fear of the darkness overruled its fear of her.

"If I leave you down here, you'll never find your way back."

It turned full circle as if trying to look around before looking in her general direction quizzically. Blindness was a pain.

"There is water at your feet."

Slowly the child inched forward. It yelped when cold wetness engulfed its toes. It stepped back and its foot slid on a slippery rock and it crumpled. It tucked its head in its knees trembling.

Again she was baffled by its strange behaviour. Humans swam, and some seemed to have a loving affinity for water, as they were willing to risk their lives sailing across it. Maybe the darkness made it fear the water?

"I thought humansss liked water."

"I-I-I d-d-don't know-know how to sw-s-swim."

She had assumed swimming came naturally to them. Apparently she was wrong. It was a learned behaviour.

"Do-do do you l-like-like w-water?"

"No."

She was feeling thirsty and had no qualms with getting a drink. She walked to the still black water's edge. It helped that even this far into the cave enough the sun's light illuminated the crags and wet slippery stones in the ground. She cupped her hands and drank, but the human remained huddled where it sat. Pulling her hood over her head she stood up.

"You better drink now, or you'll lose your opportunity."

The child started, and blinked blindly at the direction of her voice.

"Th-thank-thank you."

With slow relish it moved toward the water line and cupped its hands.

Leaving the dark cavern and black lake was a quicker journey. The human child still clung to her like its life depended on it, but it walked faster, in a hurry to return to the heinous sun it loved. Once in the main corridor she took a couple of purposefully wrong turns. She didn't want it memorizing the tunnels. And there were definitely a few places she didn't want it in. Wether or not it knew they were walking down the wrong path she couldn't tell because it remained attached to her cloak as it blindly followed her. It needed a guide or it would be absolutely lost otherwise.

"You can't see in the dark. Can you see the colours still?" She asked.

To her absolute annoyance her cloak was tugged. Turning around she glared at the child. Its arm was jerking spastically and it aggravating to say the least. She pulled the fabric of her robes from its tight fingers and hissed, managing to catch her hood before it slid back too far.

It scrambled away, backing into a wall where it twitched and scratched at its temple.

The Ra'zac glared at the child for a long moment. It would be so easy to kill and its weird jerky twitches and stuttering were incredibly aggravating. How she had managed to put up with it so long she hadn't a clue.

"I-I-can-can see-see c-col-colours." It nodded its head profusely.

She hissed. It started scratching at its temple with renewed intensity.

"You're walking on your own."

She heard a sharp exhale of breath as she turned her back on it started walking, then the scrabbling of its feet over the uneven floor as it blindly tried to catch up to her.

"You are loud."

It staggered to the sound of her voice, tripping over various divots and rocks, as it fumbled helplessly in the dark. At first the scene was fairly entertaining, but after it stumbled past her and nearly walked into a wall she grabbed its sleeve. The child fell still and its fingers crept into the folds of her loose cloak sleeves.

"Come on." She allowed it to hold her cloak once more as she led it toward the sun.

She saw it smile the moment it saw the first glimmer of sunlight. It let go of her and jogged toward it only to fall short and freeze. She stopped a few paces behind it.

It was starring at her brother with a fidgety nervous intensity that bothered her, especially since he'd fallen asleep where he'd been sitting on the rock. After a moment it halfway turned toward her, its eyes rising to her chest.

"He-he's t-tired and-and I-I don't w-want to-to uh wake him." Its eyes began to dance above her head. "I'll-I'll go-go b-back t-t-to my-my room."

She stared at bemused. Why did it care whether her brother slept or not? He really should have retired to the nest rather than sleeping in the open where he could be disturbed. But after a moment she let the Snack to its room.

It curled up in a corner, and began wrestling with a blanket that was actually one her old cloaks so tattered and decrepit she couldn't wear it anymore. With only one arm to use the child had an abdominal time dragging the cloak-blanket over itself. Then it seemed thoroughly stumped as how to get its blanket to cover it comfortably. The moment it had one corner guarding it against the cold stones it had to use the only useful arm it had to adjust another corner to guard it against the chill air of the cave, resulting in any previously parts of the blanket to become dislodged. For some time the smaller Ra'zac stood in the doorway watching the titanic struggle between child and blanket. The blanket to her surprise was winning.

Finally the child fell still, accepting defeat and it bowed its head in resignation.

"Why don't you just heal it?"

The child's head rose and turned, its short pail hair falling into its eyes. The shorter Ra'zac didn't have any hair, and looking at how the strands hung in the Snack's eyes rather uncomfortably, she didn't lament its absence. In fact she was quite please not to have any at all.

"I-I c-can't take from my-myself what I-uh already h-have."

"What?"

The child's arm jerkily rose and it began scratching at its temple. Finally its hand fell away from the bloody thin lines on the side of its head in favour of glancing in her general direction and patting the ground.

Immediately she tensed. Humans feared her, cowered, and ran from her; no human ever wanted to be near her and especially not a confined space. The fact that it was beckoning her closer was suspicious, although it certainly didn't appear dangerous. She wasn't sure she wanted to risk it, but on the other hand if a mere blanket-old worn out clothing could defeat it then she should be able to rip it into pieces. She'd already broken its shoulder.

It shifted so that it faced her and with the hand attached to its good arm pointed to its opposite arm.

"I took ar-arrow fr-from you, 'cause the-the c-c-col-colours hur-hurt too m-much not-not to. I take arrows and-and give. I give them to my-myself. I cannot-not give my-myself a-a-a br-broken shoulder when it's al-already br-broken." The child's shaking returned and the blanket slid from its quaking shoulders. Its hand shot to its temple. Small rivulets of red dribbled from beneath its nails but showed no signs of ending its furious siege against the side of its skull.

"Stop!" She hesitated a fraction of an inch from its wrist, remembering how had shrieked and writhed when her brother had.

_Oh for Goodness sake- _It howled and thrashed trying to escape.

"What isss going on!" Her brother demanded from the door the same moment the child fell limp aside from with its trembling wrist still in her hand. Immediately she released it and it rolled onto its side so its back was facing them and for a short-lived moment only its ragged shallow breathing disturbed the quiet.

"Get me sssome water and a clean cloth."

After a hesitant glance between her and the child, he complied.

* * *

"What in Alagaesia happened?"

They were in the inner sanctums of their caverns and caves in a narrow seldom used corridor far from the ears their parents and the child. The only sounds disturbing the loud silence of the cave were the pockmarks and clefts in the stony walls that echoed with the clicks and squeaks of their intricate language.

"I have no idea," the smaller of the two Ra'zac answered. "It was talking with more coherency than it usually possesses; a few stutters and it fumbled over a few words. And then it started shaking, shuddering and trying to gauge its own brain out."

"And you stopped it"

"Yes."

The taller Ra'zac tucked his beak to his chest as he normally did when in deep thought.

"It was trying to explain something to me. I don't know if I scared it somehow or if the subject of the conversation itself bothered it, but it-well you saw what did."

"What was it saying?"

She shifted slightly. "Well in order for you to understand the origin of the conversation, I have to tell you about what prompted it. The child was losing a battle with the blanket it was trying to cover itself with. It was pitiful. Pathetic."

The taller Ra'zac snorted in amusement. Humans were weak, but for a human to be overpowered by a useless tattered robe was epitome of failure.

"And," the shorter Ra'zac continued. "I asked it why it didn't heal itself, because it major issue with the blanket was its ability to use only one arm. After a few shudders it said 'I can't take from myself what I already have.'"

"_What?"_

"That was my reaction too. It beckoned me over like it wanted to show me something, which bothered me because most people tend to fear us." She waved a hand between them. "I guess it noticed my hesitation because it started talking anyways." She touched her upper arm where one of the arrows had struck her.

"It pointed to its arm where one of the wounds on my arm had been and said 'I took the arrows from you and gave them to myself, because the colours hurt too much,' and I thought for a moment it was going to say more and then it broke down and started to tear its own head open. Then you arrived."

The taller Ra'zac was incredibly silent as he pondered his verdict. He uttered a sigh and looked up momentarily.

"I think my idea is not good."

"Well it has healing powers if that's and consolation."

He snorted shaking his head. "I know, but we're dealing with something that I feel is way over our heads. Your guesses about the child's powers and origins are as good as mine. We don't know what we're dealing with. I really should have killed it."

"Well, it's asleep right now. This would be the easiest time for you to do so," his sister conceded. "You promised to kill it so you might as well do it now when it can't fight back. It would certainly be the most merciful time to kill it."

"Are you challenging me?" He hissed.

"You don't really want to kill it, and no one knows it's here so there is still time to decide its continued existence is worth the effort."

Silence fell between them, but after a while he said, "I thought it would be better if it developed a sense of ease and trust around us, but now I think I prefer the usual blood, fear, and tears."

"Me too."

* * *

The sun rose in the usual manner, with its blinding rays entering the cave that sent the Ra'zac scurrying into the nest to avoid its evil stinging light, but the sky was pleasantly overcast which made what was going to be anything other than a normal a little easier.

Dras-Leona was a hive of swarming activity, and no place was busier than the governor's house, where the Ra'zac found themselves sitting in a darkened room once more running over a seemingly endless checklist of tasks they were assigned to oversee.

Their master was visiting the opulent house of Marcus Tabor overlooking the dank filthy cobble streets of the city and they needed to have their story rehearsed when they reported to the king.

The child was securely locked away inside Helgrind so that was one less matter they had to fuss with. Hopefully it had enough food and water to last it for however long it took them to see the king and depending on how long the king wished to stay for, that could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Maybe their parents would check in on once or twice to make sure it wasn't dying or excavating its brain.

The taller Ra'zac shook his head clear. Those were not things he should have been focusing on, but a fearful voice in the back of his head kept piping up at the worst of times and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong, that for all his careful planning they were going to screw something up. As if telling the king they had failed yet again to apprehend the dragon rider wasn't going to be bad enough.

Oh they were in such trouble. His sister seemed to share his fears to some degree because she had become a lot more irritable lately and more than once he'd rushed in to save some worthless human slave from having its head broken off. She hadn't said much to him, but he caught her watching him periodically. She was worried, which was touching but troublesome, because neither of them had any reason to be as nervous as they were.

From outside the curtain drawn windows a crescendo of cheering and a fanfare of trumpets sounded. Drumbeats low and numerous shook the air as the streets of Dras-Leona turned from the usual endless baying of dying beggars and orphans into a clamour of celebration and revelry.

It had begun. The nightmare which had been little more than a dream was now tangible reality that was physically closing in on them as each minute passed.

"They are so thoughtless and ignorant," his sister snarled from a chair she sat.

He silently nodded, throat too dry to utter a proper response.

A silent pair of arms wound around his chest as he was hugged from behind. "Relax, everything will be fine. We've done nothing wrong except failing to arrest the dragon rider, and the king I'm sure is already aware of it."

After a moment he forced himself to physically relax and he gripped one her arms tightly.

"Everything will be fine." She repeated.

He nodded. "When he send for us I just prey he has a good day beforehand."

_Four days later…_

The Ra'zac slowly approached the king whose temporary throne now perched at the end of a spare dining hall that was seldom used. His coal eyes bore down on them from his chair, as he watched their every move.

The air felt dense and cold like a glacier was on his shoulders as he walked toward the throne, feeling physically ill. His sister was faring better than he, as she strode next to him almost touching. He could feel the worry and concern and irritation whirling around her, but there was nothing she could do for him or herself until they were out of Tabor's palace, out of the city, and out of the king's reach.

They bowed, honouring a human and worse one who didn't deserve such tribute. It made his bile rise momentarily, and he swallowed. What the Hell was wrong with him at the moment? Maybe he really was unwell. He hoped not. They had a dragon rider to hunt down and a temperamental radical king to treat with.

"Rise," the king instructed scrutinizing them over the top of his hawkish nose. He felt a weird shiver crawl up his spine and thanked whatever divine beings existed for his thick concealing cloak.

"What news do you bring of the boy?" His arm resting on the arm the chair rose and he casually reclined, leaning to the side, what the as his fingers stroked his dark close shaved beard. For all the world he looked as if the topic of a loose dragon rider outside his control was no important than the days weather, but the gleam in his dark eyes spoke otherwise.

The taller Ra'zac shifted slightly and took it upon himself as he always did to speak because his sister was far too volatile and impatient to do so with the risk of saying something that would get them killed or worse.

He stood telling the king of everything since last treating with him in Uru'Baen. He told of their fruitless search for the boy and old man through the wilderness, and he told the king about the young rider's appearance in Dras-Leona, and that he had soken words in the Ancient Language to evade them as they chased him through the halls of the cathedral, at which point the king's eyes glittered with a renewed intensity. He went to speak of their success capturing him that same night, leaving out the fact that they had attempted to kill Brom and that they had recently come across an interesting girl.

Then he talked the mysterious archers that had appeared out of nowhere preventing them from taking the boy, old man, and stupid dragon (not that he openly called a dragon stupid in front of a dragon rider, but he still thought it regardless. It gave him a momentary outlet for some of his stress.) It was at this point Glabatorix's expression darkened.

A new fear gripped him. That expression meant the king was most displeased and that could get them killed so he explained, begged, pleaded for the king to understand that they had done everything in their power to fend off their assailants, that they had had no other choice but to flee, that their failure at capture the dragon rider after walking into their arms had not been by any fault of their own. Although in all honesty he'd much rather see the young rider join the Varden. Then Galbatorix might be overthrown and they would obtain their freedom, but this too he did not openly say.

A heavy silence filled the dining hall as the king studied the white blade of a bone white sword he'd pulled from a sheath leaning against the side of the throne. Even though he was still casually reclined, his eyes were still filled with a deadly glitter as the king thought over his story. After a long moment so heavy with the Ra'zac's tension that their stress had solidified into a palpable substance, did the king's eyes lift from the clear jewel in the pommel of the sword.

"Your failure to apprehend this boy is not pleasing. I'm beginning to doubt the two of you have the ability to handle this task. However you've brought back some very interesting information and that shall not be overlooked. I am not without forgiveness or mercy."

He gazed at the sword as if thinking of something.

"For the time being I have another task for you. Morzan's son Murtagh-I'm sure you remember him- has gone missing I wish for you to return him to me."

They both bowed. "Yes my Liege."

* * *

"Oh _Shade'sss-blood._" The taller Ra'zac slid to the floor the moment he'd shut the door of their temporary bedroom behind him. His head fell in his hands and he began cursing foully in his own language.

"What are we going to do? _What_ are we going to do?"

Worriedly, the smaller Ra'zac watched him from her perch on the edge of the bed.

"Let's go out for a while."

The taller Ra'zac looked up at her unsure if heard correctly. "What?"

"Let's go outside, get some fresh air, clear our heads, grab a bite to eat at the Cathedral," she explained, her soft chirps filling the tiny space. "You need to clear your head."

Neither of them moved. The taller having bowed his head in silent contemplation once more and the shorter monitored him from where she squatted on the bed. Slowly and carefully he stood, using the doorframe to pull himself up.

He was incredibly stressed and tired. And the smaller Ra'zac was about to suggest that he take a nap instead, but he adjusted his hood and dusted himself and said very softly, "let's go."

* * *

She stood and quietly followed him from the room keeping a wary eye on him. She had not seen him like this for quite a while. She wondered if it had to do with the kid- the thought of keeping the Snack a secret from Old Blood-and-Guts had bothered him earlier, but if that was what was truly bothering him he should have gotten over it. So maybe his current state had to do with the meeting they'd just had with the Royal Warmonger.

She hated that he kept so much of his thoughts locked inside. She knew that the masculine gender of every race prided itself on its appearances of imperviousness. For humans this was especially true; Hell human male was some the dumbest creatures she'd ever had the misfortune of associating with. Still, this was beyond that. Her brother had taken normal male idiocy and turned it into something unhealthy. There was nothing that had happened that would merit this sort of response.

The king had been displeased by their report, that was true, and it made her scared. And here was her brother, terrified, over thinking it and over analyzing it. She felt like she was missing something. They had been present at the same meeting right? Had the king said or done something she hadn't noticed? Had there been some sort of magic in the room to make him like this?

She mentally cringed at the last thought, but now that it was in the forefront of her mind she couldn't let go of the possibility that something was wrong with him.


	6. Laughing Under Moonlight

**Author's Note: This will be a fairly short chapter. Anyhow I don't own Eragon or the Ra'zac… I wish I owned the Ra'zac, Chris can have Eragon.**

* * *

"**When people are laughing, they're generally not killing each other." Alan Alda**

**Beauty and the Beasts**

**Laughing Under Moonlight**

* * *

A loud clang of metal against rock followed by a flood woke her. Above her stood one of the Ra'zac. She couldn't see him, but she knew his colours and had learned quickly the subtle differences between his and his sisters who she assumed was in the caves somewhere as well.

"Come." He ordered her.

In a strange way she was relieved to see him. They were back and she didn't have to be alone anymore. His colours were turbulent, muddy dark and she felt unhappy and nervous, just as he was nervous and unhappy.

"You can rot here if you prefer," the Ra'zac hissed impatiently.

With only one arm for balance she awkwardly got up, hauling the blanket with her.

"You won't need that."

After a moments hesitance she let the blanket slip off her shoulders and she cautiously stepped toward him.

He was irritated and she was afraid. If the colours were any indication his meeting with the king had not gone well. The Ra'zac hissed, and her step faltered. Then she was in arm's reach, and he could grab her if he chose, but to her mild relief he merely stood still before turning away. She couldn't see in the pitch blackness, and he seemed to know that, because he kept within a few feet of feet of her at all times.

The air grew less damp and fresher and then they were in an open space, the darkness of which was marred by faint sparkles of. A cold fear gripped her and she saw colours that belonged to neither Ra'zac but the creatures on which they flew. Their parents.

She squinted into the darkness, but couldn't see them. She'd seen them in the clearing and she had been terrified then, but they were visible then, now they darkness within darkness, and unless one of moved a lot or one of the Ra'zac lit a lamp she wouldn't be able to see them.

A series of clicks trailed out of the darkness to which the Ra'zac next to her responded in kind. A faint swish of fabric was her only indication the he'd started walking again and she hastily fell into step just behind him.

"Go sssit over there." One of the white twinkly things disappeared as his arm moved. "And don't move."

She edged over there, glancing back over her shoulder watching the colours and watching if he gave any indication of disapproval. Her fingers brushed against cool stone of the cave wall. She sat staring blindly into the cave. The twinkly things couldn't be seen from where she sat.

She jumped and twitched as a something heavy landed directly in front of her.

"That is yoursss to carry." She reached out and her fingers brushed across thick heavy fabric. Attached to it were straps. After a moment she dragged it toward herself, finding it to be rather heavy.

"How is it supposed to carry it? It'sss arm is lame." The other Ra'zac asked from within the darkness. An amused colour briefly appeared. The Ra'zaz standing over however was anything but amused. A hiss, that could have been a sigh, could have been a threat sent the child's skin crawling.

"My-my arm is…is hurt but-but I'm not mm invalid." The child scratched at its temple, as it stared at the floor it couldn't see. After a pause, a snicker broke the silence. She blinked at the noise, had she said something funny?

The Ra'zac standing over her uttered a short series of clicks and a conversation in sounds she couldn't even fathom the meaning of began.

* * *

The taller Ra'zac's retort died before he could make a sound. He gazed at the child with a strange combination of irritation, surprise, and amusement. He had not expected it to say anything, and had he; he would not have expected those words. His sister laughed, at its cheeky statement, after an equally surprised silence.

"Is that everything?" He asked in his own language still studying the small creature at his feet, scraping its temple. He wondered if it had lice or some other bug infesting that corner of its head.

"We've checked everything three times. My bag, your bag, its bag; everything we need or could possibly need we have. And anything we don't have, we have money to buy," his sister said crossly. He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

So that the child could hear he said, "We're leaving."

He and his sister converged in the centre of the cave, with their bags slung over their shoulders. They bowed, and his sister having no interest in dealing with the child during flight leaped onto the shoulders of her mother, where she smugly watched him scowl up at her unhappily. Then he turned and purposefully walked back to the child.

It was already standing, holding the bag to its chest with its good arm. The other hung by its side limply.

* * *

Just because the smaller Ra'zac had few conversations with the Snack and had led it to water when her brother had been tired, didn't meant she wanted to carry the bloody thing as she flew, especially with a bag in her hands. Besides she had always found the interactions between her brother and the Snack fairly interesting.

It edged back towards the wall as if it sensed her brother's approach, only to bump into the wall as it did so. This would irritate her brother for sure. He didn't like dealing with humans that fought back.

Slowly, with great effort it turned slightly and raised its left arm at the elbow, offer him her hand. She hissed surprised and her brother did likewise.

The Snack flinched as her brother reached out to take its wrist. Her brother paused as if contemplating something. It stood rigid and trembling as it stared blindly in her brother's general direction. Then in a swift motion he grabbed its tiny thin hand.

It convulsed, shaking, trembling, nearly dropping the bag, as tried to escape whatever pain it was in. A thin trail of red dribbled from the corner of its rigidly closed mouth. Then its body slackened, and with the bag it limply held toppled forward into her brother's arms.

In a swift move he leaped onto the shoulders of his father. His landing was awkward as he juggled the child and two bags. She snickered quietly at his plight and he shot her a momentary glare. He couldn't sling the child over his shoulder, with a bag of his own already hanging from it. So he was forced to put the child in his lap, and carry its bag as well, until it was able to do so.

"I'll carry another bag," she offered.

After a second of shifting the child's position, a bag arched across the cave. She just managed to get to her fingers on before it hit their mom or the floor. She quickly drew it into her lap.

"Watch where you throw things." Her mother hissed.

"Sorry."

Then the smaller Ra'zac crouched into a more comfortable position, as her mother hovered on the edge of the cave. Large wings that mirrored the night sky spread and she felt a surge of exhilaration as she gazed at the ground below. They teetered for a moment. A trill of excitement surged from her lungs as they fell. No sound could ever due the thrill of flight justice.

Wings unfurled at the last second, saving them from a rather unpleasant collision with the ground. She laughed and from above and behind a similar cry of delight cut the night.

Laughing they left the city below them they climbed toward the heavens. The night sky was their domain and their play ground. With hoods thrown back, they could fly and forget the life they lived. Among the stars and below the moon, they could simply be.

* * *

The Ramr River was like a swath of lace curtain, rippling with waves of silver and indigo, when he heard a faint sound. The child shifted on its own accord and he glanced down. Its hand slid from its leg and landed on the skin of his father. It jerked, startled and wide eyed. His arm wrapped around it, immobilizing it before it fell, attacked him, or some other stupid thing. Immediately its arms wrapped around him and it curled closer to him, burying its head in the front of his cloak.

_What in the world? _He nearly shoved the parasitic memory sucking leech off himself considering very seriously throwing to a very ugly death, and he would have too, if he hadn't belatedly realized that was hugging him out of fear of such a death.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have already done so."

The words had no effect on it, and it gave no sign to indicate that it had even heard. Then he uttered a small chuckle. The child shivered.

"Most people run from me in fear, not hug me."

It ignored him. What would his sister have done to remove it short of killing it? He hated how close it was to him. He felt vulnerable. There wasn't anything to truly fear; it couldn't kill him, and he was much stronger than it. It shifted and he instinctually tensed. No one had ever been this close to him with the exception of his sister.

He glanced down and found it staring up at him, or rather up at the sky above. Slowly her good arm stretched past his head and beyond his field of vision. He grabbed the offending limb and shoved it down, making it whimper in pain. He let go giving its wrist a bruising squeeze for good measure.

It shifted into a more upright position, cradling its hand in its lap. Its eyes were dewy with what humans referred to as tears, but it didn't cry. It frowned staring intensely at its arm. Then it closed its eyes, heaving a dejected breath and let its head fall against his chest.

"Why can't you heal yourself?"

It started at his question and its hand shot to its temple.

"I can't take-take fro-m my-myself what I-what I already ha-ve have."

He scowled at its cryptic and incoherent statement. "I-I-" Its hand scratched with a new intensity. The smell of blood briefly filled his nostrils and he tore its hand away. In whatever weird fit it was in, it decided to seek out another object to scratch its head against, and found his cloak to be a worthy substitute.

Angry he did shove it away, and it yelped. The sound carried; because his father said something and his mother hissed a threat to the little imp from not too far away, but rather than responding to them he glared at the little malinger.

Never had he come across such disrespect or bizarre behaviour. Its head twitched awkwardly like it was searching for yet another scratching post. Then it was shaking, almost convulsing, trying to free its hand from his relentless grip.

"Ssstop," he hissed, and it did. To an extent. It trembled and it still seemed intent on finding something to rub its head against.

"I said stop."

It shook its head as if saying no. "Nee-needles!"

"What?"

"The-the need-les." It was still fighting and trembling. Still trying to escape, but maybe it wasn't him that it was trying to escape.

"What needles?" He asked calmly. He was still angry, but calmness he was learning got better responses from her sooner.

"I can-can feel them." Its voice had dropped to a soft gasping whisper and he had to lean closer to it to hear.

From over the wind his sister shouted, "Don't eat it without me!"He shook his head at her antics. He wasn't eating the child and she knew it.

"I don't-"

"They-they hurt. They hurt. And-and they make the col-colours hu-hurt."

He didn't understand what it was saying. He wasn't sure he ever would, but he did know that someone had done something to this child, whether it was through the use of magic or some other method. He was nearly certain of that now. And that made it dangerous to keep around. He'd discuss the topic with his parents and sister, to hear what they thought.

Its eyes closed and it fell nearly still. Only slight tremors and wracked its frame. He stared down at it watching it. It wasn't asleep. It looked to be in pain if anything, and very slowly he loosened his hold on the creature.

It slid into his lap seeking out a more comfortable position. There so many things he wanted to ask, but he was at a loss as how to say them. He watched it in muted frustration and it an offhanded notion in the back his mind that noticed the child's pail hair looked just the moonlight as its short strands danced hap hazardously around its head.

It looked up past his head once more and it raised its hand, straining its fingers toward something.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

It frowned at whatever it was looking at. "Try-try-ing to ca-catch a-a-star."

"They're too far away."

"You-you can-can't touch th-them?" It asked puzzled.

"No I cannot."

"The-the m-moon?"

He uttered a soft sound of amusement. "The moon isss also too high."

It sat up once more. But rather than clinging to him it pulled away trying to see the dark world bellow.

"Wh-where are we?" It asked. "We're flying over the Ramr River. It nodded.

They were a little less than half a mile down the southern most end of it. It was monstrously huge and wide. Personally he found it boring, not to metion a litle scarey, but the child on the other hand was… enthralled.

Most humans he would assume, based on their inability to fly would fear heights. He had not flown with many humans, and the ones that had flown with him were either dead or unconscious at the time. So he supposed he could be wrong, the child certainly seemed to be proving him wrong a lot.

Most humans shuddered and tried to do everything possible to get away from him, this child while certainly had the quaking part down showed little fear of him at all, and for brief instances.

The wind had thrown back his hood and he knew that humans were disgusted by his appearance. The child may have been surprised but had not been afraid, it was as if her mind was innocent and had yet to discover the differences. Or maybe it couldn't see, as it would look at him, but its eyes always looked unfocused. He was at a complete loss, confused and excited to have such a bizarre mystery on his hands, but unnerved by his realization earlier.

* * *

Why did the colour of his thoughts change so much? They were distracting and she couldn't help but look at them as they danced across her vision. He was stressed, the Ra'zac was. Slowly she turned. His colours were the same, muddy, dark, unpleasant, but his anger from earlier had subsided. Now he was nervous and she couldn't help but feel that his thoughts were connected to her. Had she done something?

Slowly she casually glanced at him. He was watching her, she guessed. His eyes were large and black. Maybe he wasn't looking at her, or maybe he could see many things at once… his eyes were fairly bulbous.

She looked back down at the lake that appeared to be a great black opening in the ground from where they flew. The only reason she knew there was water beneath them was because the moon's reflection was chasing them. It was pretty but disorienting. The moon should be above them, not below.

"Are-are you hap-happy?" She asked.

* * *

The Ra'zac tilted his head. He wasn't sure what it meant; happy in the moment, happy in general, or something else, and even less sure as to how he should answer. It wasn't a question people asked him on a regular basis and it made him suspicious of its motives. He glared hoping that if he stared long enough he'd see into its mind and understand its intentions.

"If coloursss are emotionsss shouldn't you know the answer already?"

It scratched at its temple and with great effort pulled its hand away, only to scratch again albeit softer.

"I-I didn't ha-have a nigh-nightmare. I had a-a gu-good dream…earlier." Its hand fell away from its head and settled in its lap.

"You have nightmares?"

It nodded vigorously, "Bad feelings, bad dreams." It's matter-o-fact tone left room for little argument. He supposed it had a point.

He thought about the flight before it had woken. He had felt exhilarated and carefree diving from the top of Helgrind, and playing among the stars with his family. He had been happy in that time he supposed. He assumed it was referring to its unconsciousness at the start of the journey.

"I like flying," he conceded.

It looked back at him with an unreadable expression. "I-I do too, I th-think."

Then for a brief moment he thought he saw the shadow of a smile flicker across its thin pale lips. It turned back around to look out over the landscape.

The mountains at night elicited a gasp from the small child, when her eyes were able to see them. They were wreathed in sheds of cloud and whitewashed fog. It reached out, grazing the edge of tiny cloud with her fingers. Her hand recoiled as she stared at her fingers with interest. She stretched out her hand again, and a very small awkward laugh escaped its throat, as if it didn't know how to laugh.

A series of clicks caught his attention, and he turned. His sister and mother were flying beside him now.

"How's the midget?" his sister asked.

"It's fine. How are you?"

His sister looked around. "I'm good. A little bored I suppose."

He laughed and the child in his lap shifted. "I'm not. In fact I'm quite the opposite." His sister waved him off, annoyance evident in the gesture. He laughed again.

Their parents dove, careening through a narrow divide between two mountains. Caught by surprise the two Ra'zac laughed. The child squealed, and craned its neck looking up at him with unfocused wide eyes. It had a strange cross of surprise, fear, and elation on its face. Its short hair was in absolute disarray, like a tornado blown haystack balancing on its head. His laughter joined his sister's.

"Wahoo!" His mother's and father's screeches echoed through the mountain peaks.

The child visibly cringed at the pitch of the noise, but he could see the fragmented smile from earlier reappearing as it glanced at him momentarily.

* * *

Several hours passed and the sky was beginning to turn a murky blue when the child who had been exceedingly still and silent tugged his sleeve, pointing at something on the ground below. It was pointing to the dark square lumps.

"That'sss a nomad caravan-"

"Soon you'll see Uru'baen."

"We're stopping for the day!" His mother called already banking toward the ground. His father followed suit.

Long cuts were gouged into the earth as the Lethrblaka landed. Immediately both Ra'zac leaped down from their backs.

With the human child in a strong hold the taller Ra'zac bowed, as did his sister seconds later.

They whistled their goodbyes and together the two Ra'zac with their scrawny captive stoll into the dark shadow of he trees making their way to the King's capital.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah it was fairly short and dull. I'm aware of this. The next chapter, though longer should make up for this. **


	7. What Lies Beneath

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Ra'zac, or the Inheritance Cycle.**

"**Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time. Can you understand?" –John Coffee**

**Beauty and the Beasts**

**What Lies Beneath**

* * *

A gasp was all they heard as the child's breath was stolen, by the towering spires of glass and stone that scraped the fringes of the sky. But then it shuddered and slowly edged back toward the gates. The Ra'zac watched in puzzlement. The spoke of its curious behaviour but it ignored their clicks and whistles as it stared wide eyed at the gleaming buildings.

"They-they won't fall on uh-us?" It asked.

Both Ra'zac stared at the buildings in consideration.

"Elvesss," the smaller Ra'zac hissed with passionate distaste, "built them." The child's eye flickered to her boots dubiously. "Um." It looked back up at the towers, fidgeting with a sleeve edge on its all too conspicuous dress.

"They won't fall on us," the taller Ra'zac reiterated.

"Su-su-sure?" He stared at it. He for once had been completely honest about something and it didn't believe him. How was flying okay when walking under the shadow of a tall building wasn't? There was no sense, no logic guiding this child's ideas and it obviously knew nothing of elves, or simply didn't understand the significance of his sister's first answer.

He gestured toward it enticing it to follow them. With eyes darting from them to the city to various spots in the air if took a ginger step toward them and then another. Like a small fury skittish forest animal it approached. It paused less than a yard away from him, and uncertainly waited to see what his next move would be. Strangely it never looked at him, its eyes darted elsewhere, but he knew it was very aware of his movements.

Nudging his sister he cocked his head motioning for forward movement. She began walking, with an impatient hiss. Following after her, he occasionally peeped over his shoulder to check that that the bite sized meat crumb was following them. He did this while trying to keep an eye on his companion. As per usual, she was going to dart into the first alleyway they came to and from there, use the shadier streets to approach the palace.

A feather light tug on his cloak made him pause. The child was walking next to him, with a worried expression on its face as its eyes roved the few people who were out and about this time of day.

"Come on."

The hiss inflecting his voice spurred its momentary glance in his direction, before it sidled closer to him. Periodically it glanced up at his chest as if checking he was still there, or seeking out approval.

It never looked at people's faces. He wondered why it didn't-

A short intake of breath cut off all train of thought as the child dove into a sprint. His snarled viciously chasing after it. Skidding to a stop the child kicked a plume of dust into the air at the mouth of the alley his sister had stepped into.

* * *

The smaller Ra'zac whirled shocked by the Snack's sudden appearance. For a brief moment she saw fear written across its face, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by failed nonchalance as its eyes flickered to the tall buildings around them uncertainly. Half a second later her brother appeared next to the kid, startling it.

"What was that about?" she chittered. The taller Ra'zac shook his head.

Two pairs of large dark eyes fell on the fidgeting critter as it stared up at the buildings.

"They won't fall," the shorter Ra'zac hissed in annoyance. She couldn't understand how her brother had the patience to deal with it. So what if it could heal them? It was useless if it could be terrified by a few stupid buildings. Her brother was studying it with rapt attention, as if a dysfunctional human child was a great mystery.

She watched him lean toward it. It watched his torso from the corner of its eye as he crouched at its level.

"Don't run like that again. I might misss underssstand your actionsss." He hissed. The Snack's eyes darted to few spots near his head before nodding.

Her brother straightened, and nodded. Huffing exasperatedly to herself the Ra'zac stomped forward. The stupid creature was not worth their time.

"Go on," she heard her brother say, before she turned a corner.

* * *

The palace dark ebony with its emerald spires toward over them, as they stood at the steps. Sensing rather seeing the child stop, both Ra'zac turned.

It was shuddering, and a red line trailed passed its ear. Its fingers were furiously digging into its temple, hard enough that its thin pail fingers were turning red. The red line was widening into a rivulet and if the child continued digging into its temple like that….

The taller Ra'zac leaped toward it, intent on scaring. It jerked away from him only to fall with a clatter as both it and the bag it carried hit the steps.

Its face faded into a sallow white, as its eyes widened. Its thin mouth formed an O. It had the look of someone who'd been stabbed, but as the Ra'zac stared down at it, he took notice of the odd angle its left arm was resting in.

Squatting next to it, he grabbed its small wrist. It jerked- froze and its eye glistened. Carefully he set its arm back into a position that looked more natural for a human arm to be in, before hissing at it angrily.

As angry as he was, most humans would be screaming in agony. He'd seen much smaller wounds make men several times the child's size cry out.

"I-I-I don-don't-t li-like to be touch-touched," it whispered. Its hand became fists that opened and closed in tune with its agitation.

"What do you see?"

It jerked and made to scratch its head again. Catching its wrist he repeated the question, sending it into a tirade of phonetic syllables that had no discernible meaning.

"Col-col-col," it made a squeaky sound in its throat he didn't fully understand the meaning of and shut its eyes like it was shunning a bad memory. "C-c-c," it shuddered and shook its head. "Col-uh-col-colours-colours." He wondered how it could be so hard for a human child to extricate words from its throat when it was speaking in its own language.

"Tha- that- d-d-don-don-t look-look like-ike col-col-"

"Colours," he finished saving the small creature the trouble.

"Colours," it agreed.

He remembered it mentioning something about colours that weren't colours. Things that were evil had colours without colours, or something like that. He glanced at the palace looming over them like a giant predator, with its green towers that winked at him mockingly in the early morning sun.

"I do-don't wan-t- I do not-not want to go-to go," the child murmured dejectedly picking at the stone in the step.

"You have to."

It whole body exploded in a wave of turbulent tremors. Its wrist still in his hand, it pulled against trying to escape or scratch its head. He wasn't sure which.

"If it doesn't want to go, leave it behind," his sister's clicks suggested over the child's futile struggling. As an afterthought she said, "Let's just kill it." She wasn't being sirius, although it was a nice idea he thought. It certaily had appeal. He looked between the child, his sister, and the palace deliberating.

"It's nicer on the inssside."

Behind him he heard a sigh. The child froze staring wide eyed at the palace, its eyes scanning over it. Chewing its lip it slavered over its verdict.

"Not-not- the uh-uh the pal-palace." It shivered and pointedly shifted closer to him. Was the child really that fearless or did it have no concept of the danger he could be representing? It would take no more than a hand around her throat and the twitch of a finger to snap its scrawny neck.

"What the Hell isss it then?" his sister demanded over his shoulder. Not one to be left out of the child's conspiracies she'd joined them. It blanched at his hatchmate's sharp tone. He couldn't blame her. She was irate and he was becoming so too.

"M-m-man." Its eyes lifted to where four guards stood sentinel outside the palace doors.

They followed its gaze. "Oh are you-" his sister's tirade trailed off into their language. "We're scarier than human it's ever come across."

"Shhh!" he hissed reverting into their language as well. "Apparently it begs to differ."

"And you're going to let it?"

"This is not the time or the place to discuss-"

"Believe me we will," she snarled cutting him off.

Growling in annoyance he stood hoisting the child up as he did so. For such a small little critter it was proving to be a major pain and source of strife between him and his sister.

* * *

She was already near the door, waiting for them, chittering a wide array of invectives to herself. He could feel his sister's glare burning him. Ignoring the anger blistering his skin as best he could he gave the child a sharp nudge to its back with his spiny elbow coaxing it into walking up the stairs, whispering in its ear that the next one would be harder if it didn't.

The child grew resilient to the fear of being shoved as they approached the door and the silently erect armour clad humans. With vague cursory glances they opened the thick gilded behemoth wooden planks allowing them to pass. He noticed one of the guards tilt his head to cast a curious look at the child, which was imitating a statue as it rigidly stared unwaveringly at the ground.

It tore away from him, scrambling to get inside. It jerked to a halt where it stood shaking rather agitatedly. Slitting his beak to reprimand it his words were cut off by a very loud voice shouting, "Move kid!"

Terror stricken it flung itself against the wall next to the door as two burly slaves- the Ra'zac thought smelled tantilizingly wonderful-hauling a large trunk between them came into view.

"…worthless little whelp," he heard one of them mutter, as they passed.

Returning his attentions to the child, which was leaning against the wall with hunched shoulders, bowed head, and trembling frame. It was not partaking in the human display of grief by allowing water to dribble from its eyes, but he could see it was sad-

"Excuse me," a voice hissed delightfully. Perturbed the slaves froze and paled at the sight of the two Ra'zac hulking in the doorway. "I believe it'sss common courtesy to welcome one'sss geustsss," the shorter Ra'zac asked, her voice mockingly pleasant.

"My lords, forgive us" the slaves implored. She smirked at the title they bestowed them. It was incredibly fun to make humans cower like they prey they were. The child rather than appearing cowed was gaping at her with an amusing mixture of surprise, fear, and appreciation.

After a few respectful bows, several fearful shudders, and two handfuls of profuse apologies the slaves darted away, hauling the trunk between them with a renewed vigour, as if they'd discovered hidden strength they hadn't known they possessed until that very moment.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded and its face fell, into something unreadable but sad all the same.

"Come on."

Heaving itself off the wall it did as instructed resembling a kicked puppy that was unwelcome but had nowhere else to go.

* * *

The room in which Murtagh had resided, still smelling fouling of Morzan's offspring had been vacated hurriedly. After scoping it out and rummaging around looking for anything that would indicate the boy's whereabouts the Ra'zac were forced to accept that nothing would provide them with the answers they sought.

With a series of vexed clicks they departed and made their way toward the darkened room where they stayed.

"Well now what?"

"I'm thinking."

"We've already asked around, anyone who saw him leave is dead or has no idea where he went. Searching his room was useless-"

"I'm thinking."

With an exasperated sigh the smaller Ra'zac fell back onto a mattress that creaked and groaned beneath her weight. Her brother was standing in the room's darkest corner, appearing to be a shadow within the shadows, chittering to himself as he mulled over his thoughts.

"I'm hungry." He announced abruptly. "I'm going to hunt. I think one of those slaves from earlier will make a wonderful dinner."

The abrupt change in topic was startling, but not unwelcome, and in a show of silent agreement she hopped off the bed and stood waiting by the door.

"Should we bring food for the human?" His sister asked darkly. He gave silent nod- "Speaking of which, where is it at the moment?"

"It is with a maid."

"Why?"

Opening the door so his sister could step out first, he answered, "For different clothes. The dress was rather conspicuous" The smaller Ra'zac hissed unhappily. "It comes back wearing a cloak-"

"I thought a cloak was preferable: the fewer people who recognize it, the better." He spoke with a tone of finality that his sister chose not to question. He'd killed people in the past for questioning him after he'd used that tone, and she may have been his hatchmate entitled to the privilege of harassing him, still did not mean she was willing to try her luck, especially when his mood was already fouled by a lack of food.

* * *

Her idea had been a good one. Prowlling the dark empty streets and narrow alleys they happened upon a couple of ragtag orphans similar to the one they'd picked up in Dras-Leona. Darkness within darkness the Ra'zac waited as they meandered closer. They homeless human children collapsed squealing in pain and fear as their flesh was torn beneath an onslaught of beaks and claws. Orphans such as these, who probably had only been the strets for a short aount of time, were tender with youth and weren't greasy with lard like better fed children.

Already drinking deep from many of the open wounds gouing their small meals the Ra'zac hunkered down to enjoy the spoils of their hunt.

"You act like a mother with a new hatchling, the way you treat that thing," his sister said plopping something dark red and dripping into her wide open beak.

"I do not." She snickered at the affronted tone in her brother's voice. "Oh yesss you do." She responded in the human language. "You seem to forget it'sss one of them," she added.

The sickening tear of connective tissue snapping resounded throughout the stoney corridor as her brother relieved his dinner's arm of a long strip of muscle. "I have not forgotten, nor will I."

She knew he wouldn't forget, but she was relieved to hear him say it. They were on the same page more or less it seemed, and any display of kindness from him was a façade to keep it from thinking about running.

"Besides, if anyone isss acting like a mother with a new hatchling it'sss you," he smirked. She snapped her beak shut in muted shock. He snickered, finding great comedy in his words.

_"What?" _She was half tempted to pluck a bone from the leg she was tearing at and throw it at him, as his smirk broadened.

"Don't act like you don't know. I saw what you did earlier; rushing to itsss defence by scaring those slavesss half to death."

With a sharp snap she amputated the dead orphan's foot and hurled it at the offending pupa. She hissed delightedly as it struck him with a loud thump. Shocked, her brother gazed at it and then snipped off a tow.

"Why thank you," he said gleefully. "I happen to like being hit in the head by flying feet, as I find toesss to be enjoyably crunchy." He purposely crunched off another one.

"The only reason I said anything to those ssstupid human slavesss was because they were rude. Being the king's finest assassinsss I think we deserve a better welcome than that." It was the truth, she had not intended to defend the meagre human ration her brother insisted toting around with them.

"Whatever you say." He mockingly agreed.

"I wasn't lying."

"Sure, sure." He was still smirking at her and eating toes at her with an air of triumph that irked her to wits end.

She really wasn't lying but she could see that the more she argued her point the more convinced he was that she in fact had some infinitesimal amount of care for the little was an utterly preposterous notion. The expression in its face had been one a hatchling, still dripping in egg juices would wear if being nuzzled by its mother for the first time: too young to realize that its mother was just as liable to eat it as it wa to come to its aid. If the little creaure was desprate and crazy enough to believe she had protected it and felt brave enough to see her in a different light then it was at fault for that was not what had happened.

Humans were fickle anyways. It might see her as a protecter now, but tomorrow it would once again cringe in fear at the sight of her as it was supposed to.

"AACK!" She fell knocked backward by- she sat up looking around-a toeless foot. "What the Hell was that for?" Her screech sliced the quiet of the alley. Her brother burst into a fit of laughter. "Have you no manners? Didn't mother teach you not to play with your food?" She demanded.

"Pay back!" He chittered joyfully.

She growled at him and his perpetual laughter at her expence. She'd beat him with a femur later, when she'd worked her way up to it. That would teach him a lesson. She snickered at the idea, and he fell quiet, glaring at her supiciously as she innocently plopped a piece of flesh into her open maw.

Casting him an innocuous look, she asked sweetly, "What are you staring at?" His scowl deepened.

By the time they were finished their dinner, all that remained was a pile of stark white albeit wet bones and a spotless floor.

They preened, rubbing any and all the bits of flesh still attached to their phalanges onto the floor, scraping anything that couldn't simply be rubbed off, out from beneath the small talons that adorned their finger tips. This task once completed to their individual standards of satisfaction, had left them with only a few hours left in the night.

"I really hope it'sss still waiting for us. If I have to hunt down that little morsel after all the annoyance it has caused us I will be very upset," she said giving her hood one last yank.

"Likewise," her brother agreed.

In a flurry of dark fabric like raven wings they hurried into the night, leaving behind two small piles of broken stark white bones in a pool of blood.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, it's not as good as my other fanfics by a long shot, but I'm really just trying to finish it, so that I can refocus on my other projects. This was just an idea I came up with and I really want to pull it from my head to make room for other ideas. It's a little cluttered in there.**


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